Novel therapeutic targets and predictive markers for hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Introduction: Following the approval of sorafenib as the first systemic agent for treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), there have been an increasing number of targeted treatments under testing for the cancer. However, most of the recently published drug trials in HCC failed to produce remarkable results. The researchers are actively pursuing novel therapeutic targets as well as predictive biomarker for treatment of HCC.

Areas covered: This review discusses a number of potential novel targets for drug development of HCC. Focus is put on the underlying rationale for therapeutic development of the target and the possibility of using a predictive biomarker to select patients for drug testing.

Expert opinion: Future direction of drug development will be discussed. Notably, a clinical trial on drug testing in HCC should be shifted from all-comers approach to selected populations based on underlying viral etiology and molecular targets. A study to evaluate predictive biomarker is crucial to the development of targeted agents for HCC. Design of clinical trials on HCC should introduce measures to encourage acquisition of tumor and plasma samples for biomarker development.

Keywords:

• biomarker
• drug
• liver neoplasm
• targeted therapy

Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council Theme-Based Research Scheme (T12-403/11).

Declaration of interest

SL Chan, Novartis (scientific advisory board, research fund), Pfizer (research fund); no disclosures for AWH Chan and W Yeo. The authors were supported by Hong Research Grants Council Theme-Based Research Scheme (T12-403/11). SL Chan is on the advisory board and has received a research fund from Novartis, and also received a research fund from Pfizer. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Notes

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