Recently, a new study published in the journal Genes & Cancer showed that blood biomarkers in the TGF- pathway can identify hidden liver cancer risks, providing new hope for early diagnosis and prevention.
Liver cancer: the silent killer.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide and is characterised by insidious early symptoms, rapid progression, and often advanced stages once diagnosed,** with poor results. Therefore, early screening and diagnosis are essential to improve patient outcomes.
TGF- pathway: unraveling clues to the evolution of liver cancer.
The TGF- pathway plays an important role in liver disease and cancer development. Using rigorous animal models and human studies, researchers have established a set of TGF- pathway-based blood proteomic markers called TGf- pathway-based early detection of HCC.
Tpearle: Identifying high-risk populations.
In a cohort study of 216 patients with cirrhosis, Tpearle was able to distinguish between HCC patients and non-HCC patients. Even more surprisingly, 20 patients with cirrhosis alone showed a TCC-like pattern of Tpearle, suggesting that they may be at high risk of developing HCC.
Myostatin and PKM2: potential biological markers.
The researchers also identified two other biomarkers that were strongly associated with HCC risk: myostatin and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2). These markers reflect ongoing biological changes in the liver and may indicate the presence of HCC at an early stage, providing new opportunities for early diagnosis and intervention.
Significance of the study: to open a new era of precision prevention and control.
This study is the first to find that blood biomarkers in the TGF- pathway can identify hidden liver cancer risk, providing a new tool for early screening and risk assessment of HCC. In the future, through further research and validation, these biomarkers are expected to be used to develop more effective early diagnosis and prevention strategies for HCC, helping more patients defeat cancer.
Here are some of the research highlights:
Tpearle is able to distinguish between HCC and non-HCC patients and identify patients with cirrhosis who are at high risk. Myostatin and PKM2 are potential biological markers of HCC risk. This study provides new ideas and methods for early screening and precise prevention and treatment of HCC.
Reference: Xiang, x, et al. (2024). mechanistically based blood proteomic markers in the tgf-β pathway stratify risk of hepatocellular cancer in patients with cirrhosis. genes & cancer. doi.org/10.18632/genesandcancer.234.