MicroRNA-223: a key regulator of liver tumour microenvironment

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide with few effective drug treatments. Recent combination therapies inhibiting immune checkpoints and angiogenesis showed better overall and progression-free survival outcomes than the protein kinase inhibitor sorafenib in patients with unresectable HCC,1 suggesting targeting tumour microenvironment (TME) is a promising strategy for the treatment of HCC. However, how the TME is developed and regulated is still poorly known. Thus, understanding the pathogenesis of HCC TME would be essential in order to develop more effective HCC therapies. In Gut, Fu et al2 have demonstrated that microRNA-223 (miR-223) is a key regulator of HCC TME by modulating tumour hypoxic microenvironment, immunosuppression and angiogenesis. miRNAs are a class of small (~19 to 24 nucleotides in length) endogenous RNAs that play critical roles in controlling the development, progression and prognosis of liver disease.3 miR-223 is a...
Source: Gut - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Tags: Gut Commentary Source Type: research