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Cancers
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Research and Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
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Research and Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Therapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 1444

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Chung Cheung Thomas Yau

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Interests: hepatocellular carcinoma; cancer immunotherapy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, driven by factors such as chronic liver disease, viral hepatitis, and metabolic disorders. This Special Issue highlights recent advances in HCC research, including molecular pathogenesis, diagnostic biomarkers, and innovative therapeutic strategies such as immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and combination treatments. It also explores challenges in early detection, treatment resistance, and personalized medicine. By integrating cutting-edge research and clinical insights, this collection aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and improve outcomes for HCC patients. Contributions from experts provide a comprehensive overview of current progress and future directions in HCC management.

Dr. Chung Cheung Thomas Yau
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hepatobiliary cancer
  • biomarker
  • immunotherapy
  • targeted therapy
  • combination treatments

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 9217 KB  
Article
Pleuromutilins Suppress Hepatocellular Carcinoma Growth via ABCA1 Inhibition-Induced Cholesterol Accumulation
by Mingshan Zhou, Jie Cao, Junfei Chen, Bohan Zhang, Jiawen Wu, Xiaofeng Lian, Miaoxin Zhu, Peifeng Liu and Min Zhou
Cancers 2026, 18(7), 1054; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18071054 - 24 Mar 2026
Viewed by 520
Abstract
Bcakground: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent malignancy with limited therapeutic options. Drug repurposing offers an attractive strategy to accelerate anticancer discovery. The pleuromutilin class of antibiotics, including the human-approved agent lefamulin and the veterinary drug tiamulin, has shown preliminary anticancer potential, but [...] Read more.
Bcakground: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent malignancy with limited therapeutic options. Drug repurposing offers an attractive strategy to accelerate anticancer discovery. The pleuromutilin class of antibiotics, including the human-approved agent lefamulin and the veterinary drug tiamulin, has shown preliminary anticancer potential, but its efficacy and mechanism in HCC remain unexplored. Methods: The anti-tumor effects of lefamulin and tiamulin were evaluated in HCC cell lines, patient-derived organoids, and a C57BL/6 mouse subcutaneous tumor model. Safety was assessed in a human normal hepatocyte cell line and by histopathological examination of major organs in treated mice. Mechanistic investigations were performed using RNA-sequencing, RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry (IHC), filipin staining, pharmacological rescue assays, and shRNA-mediated gene silencing. Results: In this study, we found that both lefamulin and tiamulin markedly inhibited HCC cell proliferation in vitro and significantly suppressed tumor growth in vivo (lefamulin vs. control, p = 0.014; tiamulin vs. control, p = 0.021), without causing significant toxicity. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed consistent downregulation of the cholesterol transporter Abca1 (ATP-binding cassette transporter A1) and alterations in cell adhesion molecule pathways. Functional studies confirmed that treatment reduced ABCA1 protein levels, leading to intracellular cholesterol accumulation and aberrant distribution. Furthermore, treated tumors exhibited a significant increase in CD8+ T-cell infiltration, with CD4+ T cells and macrophage infiltration remained unchanged, indicating a specific modulation of the tumor immune microenvironment. Conclusions: These findings suggest that lefamulin and tiamulin are promising therapeutic candidates for HCC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research and Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma)
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10 pages, 410 KB  
Article
Survival Outcomes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Undergoing TARE: A Comparative Analysis Before and After Single Admission Order–Map–Treat Protocol Implementation
by Abdulmohsen Ahmed Alhussaini, Saleh AlShreadah, Mohamed Rajab Elzahrani, Abdulaziz AlTaweel, Mohammed AlAhmed, Omar Bashir, Shaker Al Shehri and Mohammad Arabi
Cancers 2025, 17(24), 3930; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17243930 - 9 Dec 2025
Viewed by 618
Abstract
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) continues to pose a significant global health burden, especially when diagnosed at a symptomatic or advanced stage. In such cases, prompt and well-coordinated treatment plays a key role in improving patient outcomes. This study explores the effect of [...] Read more.
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) continues to pose a significant global health burden, especially when diagnosed at a symptomatic or advanced stage. In such cases, prompt and well-coordinated treatment plays a key role in improving patient outcomes. This study explores the effect of introducing the Order–Map–Treat (OMT) protocol, designed to streamline clinical decision-making and minimize treatment delays, on the survival of HCC patients undergoing transarterial radioembolization (TARE). Methods: This retrospective cohort included 185 HCC patients (69.2% males), of which 88 (47.6%) underwent TARE before the implementation of the OMT system in 2021 (Group 1) and 97 (52.4%) afterwards (Group 2). The mean age of the entire cohort was 71 ± 12 years. A significantly larger number of patients treated before 2021 had an ECOG score of 0 (p < 0.001). Group 1 had significantly more multifocal disease, while group 2 had more unilobar involvement. More patients with PVTT3 and PVTT4 were treated after the implementation of the OMT protocol (p = 0.009). Results: The OMT protocol significantly reduced the median decision to treatment period (p-value ≤ 0.001) from 37 days to 15 days and mapping to the TARE period from 21 days to 1 day, shortening the total days needed for treatment by 32 days approximately. The median survival from TARE was 1.4 years (95% CI: 1.1 to 1.6) for the entire cohort. When stratified by treatment period, patients treated before OMT had a median survival of 1.5 years (95% CI: 1.2 to 1.9), while those treated after OMT implementation had a median survival of 1.2 years (95% CI: 0.9 to 1.6). The difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.415). Conclusions: While there were no significant survival benefits, the OMT protocol offers more efficient HCC management by minimizing delays in treatment, potentially improving patient experience and cost effectiveness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research and Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma)
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