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Review
. 2021 May 25;22(11):5613.
doi: 10.3390/ijms22115613.

Molecular Landscape and Therapeutic Strategies in Cholangiocarcinoma: An Integrated Translational Approach towards Precision Medicine

Marco Casadio  1 , Francesca Biancaniello  1 , Diletta Overi  2 , Rosanna Venere  1 , Guido Carpino  3 , Eugenio Gaudio  2 , Domenico Alvaro  1 , Vincenzo Cardinale  4
Affiliations
Review

Molecular Landscape and Therapeutic Strategies in Cholangiocarcinoma: An Integrated Translational Approach towards Precision Medicine

Marco Casadio et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Cholangiocarcinomas (CCAs) are heterogeneous biliary tract malignancies with dismal prognosis, mainly due to tumor aggressiveness, late diagnosis, and poor response to current therapeutic options. High-throughput technologies have been used as a fundamental tool in unveiling CCA molecular landscape, and several molecular classifications have been proposed, leading to various targeted therapy trials. In this review, we aim to analyze the critical issues concerning the status of precision medicine in CCA, discussing molecular signatures and clusters, related to both anatomical classification and different etiopathogenesis, and the latest therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, we propose an integrated approach comprising the CCA molecular mechanism, pathobiology, clinical and histological findings, and treatment perspectives for the ultimate purpose of improving the methods of patient allocations in clinical trials and the response to personalized therapies.

Keywords: cholangiocarcinoma; molecular signatures; precision medicine; targeted therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Integrated approach for CCA patient stratifications and clinical perspectives, based on the anatomical location, histological and clinical features and molecular signatures and clusters.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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