Liver Cancer Case Study

Superior Essays
Cancer represents a heterogeneous group of diseases. It is characterized by uncontrolled cell growth and a collapse of all multicellular co-operations (Zhang, et al., 2016; Zhang and Sun, 2015; Zhong, et al., 2016). Cancer promotes tumor development and metastasis (Ahmed, et al., 2013; Zhu, et al., 2016). Tumors are characterized by six essential alterations in cell physiology. These are self-sufficiency in growth signals, continued angiogenesis, insensitivity to growth inhibition signals, dodging of apoptosis, boundless replicative potential, and tissue invasion and metastasis (Zhou, et al., 2016; Zhu, et al., 2016). These are common in most tumors and the latter two are the most lethal trademarks of malignant tumors (Zhong, et al., 2016). Incidence Liver cancer is primarily known as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is the fifth largest cause of cancer in men, while for women it is the eighth largest cancer (Zheng, et al., 2016; Zhi, et al., 2016; Zhong, et al., 2016). In recent years, the HCC incidences have increased worldwide, especially in China and sub-Saharan Africa. In Central and Southern Europe as well as in the North American continent, a dramatic increase in the HCC cases has been observed (Zhang, et al., 2016; Zhang, et al., 2016). Mortality Liver cancer is the second leading reason for cancer-related deaths all over the world, with an incidence of over 100, 000 new cases per year and a 4% mortality rate (Wang, et al., 2016). …show more content…
Liver cancer is the foremost cause of cancer deaths in Asia and Africa. Liver cancer is a malignancy with exceptionally low prospects of the five-year survival rate of less than 9% (Zuo, et al., 2015). Though, the mortality rates vary across the world. In the UK, around 5000 people are diagnosed with liver cancer every year and around the same number die every year. Early stage diagnosis allows better and improved treatment of patients. Prevention rate is around forty-two percent, if diagnosed at early stages (Zhou, et al., 2015; Zhou, et al., 2014; Zhou, et al., 2016; Zhou, et al., 2016). Hence, the demand to find biomarkers of liver cancer is increasing day by day. Micro-RNA Expression in Cancers During the last few years, the discovery of the regulatory role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in gene expression has expansively shed light on cancer biology (Zheng, et al., 2016; Zhi, et al., 2016; Zhou, et al., 2015). MicroRNAs are small non-coding, endogenous, ss-RNAs. The miRNAs are a family of genes encoding small RNA molecules and they play key roles in controlling gene expression. Mature miRNAs and proteins form the RNA-induced 2 silencing complex (RISC), mediates post-transcriptional gene silencing through induction of mRNA degradation or translational inhibition (Zhao, et al., 2015; Zheng, et al., 2016). Mature miRNAs can also regulate negatively by either translational inhibition or by mRNA degradation. MiRNAs can act as tumor-suppressor genes and also as oncogenes (Zhao, et al., 2015). The miRNAs can add to tumor progression. These works by modulating the expression of gene products involved in phenotypic characteristics of malignant cells, which involves invasion and uncontrolled growth (Fig. 1)(Zhang, et al., 2015; Zhang, et al., 2014; Zhao and Lawless, 2016). Some of the miRNA are MiR-222, miR-106a, miR-92, miR-17–5p, miR-20, and miR-18 trigger receptor-mediated response in cell or tissue (Zhou, et al., 2012; Zhou, et al., 2015). On the other hand, there is a long list of downregulated miRNAs in metastatic liver cancers (Liu, et al., 2011) . AIM The aim of the project is to find and analyze the biomarkers for liver cancer by differential expression of Liver carcinoma data from the public database. The present project intended to recognize miRNAs that control the expression in liver cancer by identifying the pathways that …show more content…
Thus, it is essential to identify gene/biomarkers that can distinguish patients with high and low risks of recurrence (Zhi, et al., 2016; Zhong, et al., 2016). RNA quantification enables us to understand the switch on and off of a particular gene, i.e., gene expression. Expression profiling of RNA explains the real-time activity of cells along with its expressed genes in those concerned cells. Microarrays mainly deal with exon-level and hence, it has its limitation and biases. RNA-seq permits a wider and deeper examination of gene expression. Calculating for the influence of mi-RNA effects role in cancer has been shown as an important step in understanding its

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