Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.0
4.5
Journals
Cancers
Special Issues
Novel Biomarkers of Hepatobiliary Tumors
share announcement

Novel Biomarkers of Hepatobiliary Tumors

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2024) | Viewed by 5531

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Takahiro Kodama

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita 565-0871, Japan
Interests: hepatocellular carcinoma; intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma; pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; molecular targeted agents; immunotherapy; biomarkers; genetically engineered mouse models; forward genetic screen; transposon; CRISPR/Cas; cancer genetics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hepatobiliary tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intracellular cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), and extrahepatic biliary tract cancer (BTC) are lethal malignancies. They are frequently diagnosed at inoperable advanced stages so detection markers with high sensitivity and specificity are highly desired. In addition, even after curative therapy such as locoregional treatment or surgery, tumors especially HCC frequently relapse. Therefore, it is also important to develop predictive biomarkers for tumor recurrence. Several molecular targeted drugs including angiogenesis and immune checkpoint inhibitors have been recently developed but their response rates were still unsatisfactory and there are no predictive biomarkers for their efficacy. Recent technological advances are capable of using a variety of biospecimens (e.g., tissue, blood, urine, bile juice, stool and so on) and biomaterials (e.g., DNA, RNA, protein, miRNA, exosome, metabolite, circulating cells, etc) as potential biomarkers. 

For this Special Issue of Cancers, we will welcome original research and review articles that focus on recent advances in the area of biomarker research targeting hepatobiliary cancer.

Dr. Takahiro Kodama
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • HCC
  • ICC
  • CCC
  • immune checkpoint inhibitor
  • tumor marker
  • hepatocellular carcinoma
  • intracellular cholangiocarcinoma
  • cholangiocellular carcinoma
  • BTC
  • biliary tract cancer

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

15 pages, 11243 KiB  
Article
Phospholipase A2 Group IIA Is Associated with Inflammatory Hepatocellular Adenoma
by Sadahiro Iwabuchi, Kenta Takahashi, Kazunori Kawaguchi, Akihisa Nagatsu, Tadashi Imafuku, Shigeyuki Shichino, Kouji Matsushima, Akinobu Taketomi, Masao Honda and Shinichi Hashimoto
Cancers 2024, 16(1), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16010159 - 28 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1791
Abstract
Although benign hepatocellular adenomas (HCA) are very rare, recent observations have shown their occurrence in patients with diabetes mellitus. Consequently, most of these cases are treated by resection due to concerns regarding their potential progression to hepatocarcinoma (HCC). This decision is largely driven [...] Read more.
Although benign hepatocellular adenomas (HCA) are very rare, recent observations have shown their occurrence in patients with diabetes mellitus. Consequently, most of these cases are treated by resection due to concerns regarding their potential progression to hepatocarcinoma (HCC). This decision is largely driven by the limited number of studies on HCC subtyping and the lack of molecular and biological insights into the carcinogenic potential of benign tumors. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the subtype classification of HCA and to compare and analyze gene expression profiling between HCA and HCC tissues. One fresh inflammatory HCA (I-HCA), three non-B non-C HCCs, two hepatitis B virus-HCCs, and one normal liver tissue sample were subjected to single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Comparative analysis of scRNA-seq among different tissues showed that phospholipase A2 group IIA (PLA2G2A) mRNA was specifically expressed in I-HCA, following RNA-seq analysis in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from other HCAs. Immunohistochemistry using the PLA2G2A antibody in these tissues indicated that the positive reaction was mainly observed in hepatocytes of I-HCAs and stromal cells surrounding the tumor tissue in HCC were also stained. According to a clinical database, PLA2G2A expression in HCC does not correlate with poor prognosis. This finding may potentially help develop a new definition for I-HCA, resulting in a significant clinical contribution, but it requires validation with other fresh HCA samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biomarkers of Hepatobiliary Tumors)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

24 pages, 2274 KiB  
Review
Biomarkers and Management of Cholangiocarcinoma: Unveiling New Horizons for Precision Therapy
by Naoshi Nishida
Cancers 2025, 17(7), 1243; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17071243 - 6 Apr 2025
Viewed by 551
Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive malignancy with limited methods for early detection, necessitating the development of reliable biomarkers for diagnosis and management. However, conventional tumor markers, such as CA19-9 and CEA, exhibit insufficient diagnostic accuracy. Recent advancements in molecular genetics have identified several [...] Read more.
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive malignancy with limited methods for early detection, necessitating the development of reliable biomarkers for diagnosis and management. However, conventional tumor markers, such as CA19-9 and CEA, exhibit insufficient diagnostic accuracy. Recent advancements in molecular genetics have identified several actionable mutations in CCA, enabling molecularly targeted therapies that improve survival in patients harboring these genetic alterations. Cancer panels, which facilitate multiplex genetic profiling, are critical for identifying these mutations. Studies indicate that several actionable mutations are detected in CCA cases, with patients receiving mutation-guided therapies achieving markedly better outcomes. Liquid biopsies, including cell-free DNA and circulating tumor DNA, offer real-time, non-invasive approaches to monitoring tumor dynamics, heterogeneity, and treatment responses. Furthermore, numerous studies have identified non-coding RNAs in serum and bile as promising biomarkers for the diagnosis and management of CCA. On the other hand, immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors, has shown efficacy in subsets of CCA patients. However, the success of these therapies is often affected by the status of the tumor immune microenvironment (TME), underscoring the need for comprehensive TME analysis to predict responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Despite these advances, no single biomarker currently demonstrates sufficient sensitivity or specificity for clinical application. The integration of multi-omics approaches with cutting-edge technologies holds promise for enhancing diagnostic accuracy, optimizing treatment stratification, and advancing precision medicine in CCA. These developments highlight the transformative potential of biomarkers to improve early detection, prognostic assessment, and personalized therapeutic interventions for CCA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biomarkers of Hepatobiliary Tumors)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 1513 KiB  
Review
Management of Portal Hypertension in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma on Systemic Treatment: Current Evidence and Future Perspectives
by Valeria De Gaetano, Maria Pallozzi, Lucia Cerrito, Francesco Santopaolo, Leonardo Stella, Antonio Gasbarrini and Francesca Romana Ponziani
Cancers 2024, 16(7), 1388; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16071388 - 31 Mar 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2488
Abstract
The management of CSPH in patients undergoing systemic treatment for HCC has emerged as a critical concern due to the absence of reliable diagnostic criteria and uncertainties surrounding therapeutic approaches. This review aims to underscore the primary pathophysiological aspects linking HCC and PH, [...] Read more.
The management of CSPH in patients undergoing systemic treatment for HCC has emerged as a critical concern due to the absence of reliable diagnostic criteria and uncertainties surrounding therapeutic approaches. This review aims to underscore the primary pathophysiological aspects linking HCC and PH, while also addressing the current and emerging clinical strategies for the management of portal hypertension. A review of studies from January 2003 to June 2023 was conducted using the PubMed database and employing MeSH terms, such as “hepatocellular carcinoma”, “immune checkpoint inhibitors”, “systemic therapy”, “portal hypertension”, “variceal bleeding” and “tyrosine kinase inhibitors”. Despite promising results of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in animal models for PH and fibrosis, only Sorafenib has demonstrated similar effects in human studies, whereas Lenvatinib appears to promote PH development. The impact of Atezolizumab/Bevacizumab on PH remains uncertain, with an increasing risk of bleeding related to Bevacizumab in patients with prior variceal hemorrhage. Given the absence of specific guidelines, endoscopic surveillance during treatment is advisable, and primary and secondary prophylaxis of variceal bleeding should adhere to the Baveno VII recommendations. Furthermore, in patients with advanced HCC, refinement of diagnostic criteria for CSPH and guidelines for its surveillance are warranted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biomarkers of Hepatobiliary Tumors)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop