New kids on the block: Diagnostic and prognostic microRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common malignant cancer and the third

leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Molecular profiling of changes in gene

expression has improved our understanding of the HCC mechanism, allowing the

identification of biomarkers for HCC diagnosis and HCC patient stratification for

prognosis and therapy. Recently, a new group of molecules, microRNAs, has been

discovered to be aberrantly expressed in HCC and some of them are functionally

involved in HCC carcinogenesis and progression. Further, certain microRNAs are

associated with HCC or related to HCC subtypes, implying the potential of microRNAs

for HCC patient stratification of diagnosis and prognosis. Some of these HCC-associated

microRNAs have been validated in independent cohorts, paving the way for developing

clinically useful platforms to assess HCC risk, aiding HCC diagnosis, and assisting in

HCC patient stratification with the potential for personalized adjuvant therapy. Here, we

mainly focus on the diagnostic and prognostic roles of miRNAs as a group of new

biomarkers for HCC.