Functional Genomic Studies: Insights into the Pathogenesis of Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is the sixth-most-common cancer overall but the third-most-frequent cause of cancer death. Among primary liver cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the major histological subtype, is associated with multiple risk factors, including hepatitis B and C virus infection, alcohol consumpt...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annual review of genomics and human genetics 2012-01, Vol.13 (1), p.171-205
Main Author: Han, Ze-Guang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biomarkers, Tumor - genetics
Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - genetics
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - metabolism
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - virology
Cell Transformation, Neoplastic - genetics
Comparative Genomic Hybridization
Epigenesis, Genetic
Genetic Association Studies
Genome, Human
Genomic Instability
Hepatitis B - complications
Hepatitis C - complications
hepatocellular carcinoma
Humans
Liver Neoplasms - genetics
Liver Neoplasms - metabolism
Liver Neoplasms - virology
Mutation
mutations
Risk Factors
Signal Transduction - genetics
signaling pathways
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Summary:Liver cancer is the sixth-most-common cancer overall but the third-most-frequent cause of cancer death. Among primary liver cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the major histological subtype, is associated with multiple risk factors, including hepatitis B and C virus infection, alcohol consumption, obesity, and diet contamination. Although previous studies have revealed that certain genetic and epigenetic changes, such as TP53 and β-catenin mutations, occur in HCC cells, the pathogenesis of this cancer remains obscure. Functional genomic approaches-including genome-wide association studies, whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing, array-based comparative genomic hybridization, global DNA methylome mapping, and gene or noncoding RNA expression profiling-have recently been applied to HCC patients with different clinical features to uncover the genetic risk factors and underlying molecular mechanisms involved in this cancer's initiation and progression. The genome-wide analysis of germline and somatic genetic and epigenetic events facilitates understanding of the pathogenesis and molecular classification of liver cancer as well as the identification of novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer.
ISSN:1527-8204
1545-293X
DOI:10.1146/annurev-genom-090711-163752