Exploiting gender-based biomarkers and drug targets: advancing personalized therapeutic strategies in hepatocellular carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: This review systematically examines gender differences in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), identifying the influence of sex hormones, genetic variance, and environmental factors on the disease's epidemiology and treatment outcomes. Recognizing the liver as a sexually dimorphic organ, we highlight how gender-specific risk factors, such as alcohol consumption and obesity, contribute differently to hepatocarcinogenesis in men and women. We explore molecular mechanisms, including the differential expression of androgen and estrogen receptors, which mediate diverse pathways in tumor biology such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, and DNA repair. Our analysis underscores the critical need for gender-specific research in liver cancer, from molecular studies to clinical trials, to improve diagnostic

SUBMITTER: Su L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11222576 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature