Exploring genomic profiles of hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Gene expression profiling using microarray technologies provides a powerful approach to understand complex biological systems and the pathogenesis of diseases. In the field of liver cancer research, a number of genome-wide profiling studies have been published. These studies have provided gene sets, that is, signature, which could classify tumors and predict clinical outcomes such as survival, recurrence, and metastasis. More recently, the application of genomic profiling has been extended to identify molecular targets, pathways, and the cellular origins of the tumors. Systemic and integrative analyses of multiple data sets and emerging new technologies also accelerate the progress of the cancer genomic studies. Here, we review the genomic signatures identified from the genomic profiling studies of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and categorize and characterize them into prediction, phenotype, function, and molecular target signatures according to their utilities and properties. Our classification of the signatures would be helpful to understand and design studies with extended application of genomic profiles.

Figure 1

Postulated diagram of the cellular origin of HCC. The postulated cellular origins of HCC based on the expression status of cholangiocarcinoma (CC), embryonic stem (ES) cell, and hepatoblast (HB) signatures were illustrated. Details for cellular origin of CC were omitted. ⁺ The expression of cellular origin signatures. CHC represents combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma. Reprinted from Ref. [41].

Figure 2

Genetic aberrations during multi-step hepatocarcinogenesis identified by genome-wide high-throughput profiling studies.

Figure 3

Strategies and resources for integrative analysis of genomic profiling data. [Color figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at wileyonlinelibrary.com.]