New Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) Primary Cell Cultures as Models for Exploring Personalized Anti-TGF-β Therapies Based on Tumor Characteristics.

ABSTRACT: Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) plays a dual role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), acting as a tumor suppressor in early stages by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and as a promoter in advanced stages by fostering tumor progression, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and metastasis. Understanding TGF-β's role in HCC progression, particularly its impact on tumor-stroma interactions, is crucial for developing personalized therapies. This study aims to clarify TGF-β function in HCC using patient-derived cell lines and advanced 2D and 3D culture models. Three new cell lines (HLC21, HLC19 tumoral, and HLC19 metastatic) were isolated from HCC patient biopsies, characterizing their phenotypic markers and responses to TGF-β and its inhibitor, galunisertib. HLC21 cells disp

SUBMITTER: Scialpi R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11942228 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature