Hepatology: Identify new potential gene targets for the treatment of childhood liver cancer

, June 10, 2020
/PRNewswire/ -- In a recent study published in the international journalhepatology, scientists from the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine and others identified potential new therapeutic targets for hepatoblastoma, a rareliver cancer
in children, and is not currently effective in thePhoto Source: University of Massachusetts Medical School
In the study, researchers have for the first time shed light on the potential effectiveness of YAP1-targeted therapies in the treatment of liver cancer in children, and they point out that the fate of cancer cells could be reversed, perhaps opening the door to a new type of treatment, said researcher Jordan SmithAbout 100 children in the U.Sare diagnosedeach yearhepatoblastoma, which has a low survival rate of only 27 percent for children with malignant conditionsFor these children, the researchers were helpless, and in 60 to 80 percent of patients,liver cancerwere almost without symptoms until thetumor developed and could not be surgically removed researchers typically use chemotherapy, but they are prone to serious side effects in children, such as hearing loss or learning disabilities, and may need a heart or kidney transplant later in life In this study, researchers looked for a new way to target key genes that control the survival and growth of tumor in hepatoblastoma, and which is currently successful in adult cancer treatment and may slow the need for chemotherapy in children if they work effectively in the child's body researchers who have studied animals have found that turning off the YAP1 gene can shrink more than 90 percent of tumors and extend the patient
's survival time to more than 230 days; Next, researchers will develop a customized therapy that targets the liver and keeptrack on hepatoblastoma cells, and finally researcher Smith says we will continue to delve into more new treatments for childhood cancers such as hepatoblastoma (BioValley Bioon.com) original origins: jordan L Smith, , Tom?s C Rodriguez, Haiwei Mou, et al.
YAP1 withdrawal in hepatoblastoma drives sydd of the cells to the hepatocyte-like cells , hepatology (2020) DOI: 10.1002/hep.31389