Title:Role of Alpha-Fetoprotein in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Drug Resistance
Volume: 28
Issue: 6
Author(s): Wei Li, Kun Liu, Yi Chen, Mingyue Zhu*Mengsen Li*
Affiliation:
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou 571199, Hainan Province,China
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou 571199, Hainan Province,China
Keywords:
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), Alphafetoprotein (AFP), malignant transformation, drug resistance,
immune suppressor, multidrug resistance (MDR).
Abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major type of primary liver cancer and a major cause
of cancer-related deaths worldwide because of its high recurrence rate and poor prognosis. Surgical
resection is currently the major treatment measure for patients in the early and middle stages of the
disease. Because due to late diagnosis, most patients already miss the opportunity for surgery upon
disease confirmation, conservative chemotherapy (drug treatment) remains an important method of
comprehensive treatment for patients with middle- and late-stage liver cancer. However, multidrug
resistance (MDR) in patients with HCC severely reduces the treatment effect and is an important obstacle
to chemotherapeutic success. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is an important biomarker for the diagnosis
of HCC. The serum expression levels of AFP in many patients with HCC are increased, and a persistently
increased AFP level is a risk factor for HCC progression. Many studies have indicated that
AFP functions as an immune suppressor, and AFP can promote malignant transformation during HCC
development and might be involved in the process of MDR in patients with liver cancer. This review
describes drug resistance mechanisms during HCC drug treatment and reviews the relationship between
the mechanism of AFP in HCC development and progression and HCC drug resistance.