The cancer mortality rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second highest in the world and the therapeutic options are limited. The incidence of this deadly cancer is rising at an alarming rate because of the high degree of resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy, lack of proper, and adequate vaccination to hepatitis B, and lack of consciousness and knowledge about the disease itself and the lifestyle of the people. DNA methylation and DNA methylation-induced epigenetic alterations, due to their potential reversibility, open the access to develop novel biomarkers and therapeutics for HCC. The contribution to these epigenetic changes in HCC development still has not been thoroughly summarized. Thus, it is necessary to better understand the new molecular targets of HCC epigenetics in HCC diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. This review elaborates on recent key findings regarding molecular biomarkers for HCC early diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Currently emerging epigenetic drugs for the treatment of HCC are summarized. In addition, combining epigenetic drugs with nonepigenetic drugs for HCC treatment is also mentioned. The molecular mechanisms of DNA methylation-mediated HCC resistance are reviewed, providing some insights into the difficulty of treating liver cancer and anticancer drug development.

College of Life Science Yangtze University Jingzhou China

Department of Chemistry Faculty of Science University of Hradec Kralove Hradec Kralove Czech Republic

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre Madrid Spain

National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues Huazhong Agricultural University Wuhan China

Zobrazit více v PubMed

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2‑Cl‑IB‑MECA regulates the proliferative and drug resistance pathways, and facilitates chemosensitivity in pancreatic and liver cancer cell lines