Targeting of growth factors in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: The potentials of polysaccharides

作者：Xuan Wang, Jieyu Ding, Yuanyuan Feng, Lingling Weng, Guangqiang Zhao, Jian‐Feng Xiang, Minguang Zhang, Dongwei Xing · 发表于：Oncology Letters · 年份：2017 · DOI：10.3892/ol.2017.5602 · 被引用次数：18 · 研究领域：Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism、Liver physiology and pathology、Proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans research

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has become a leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide and is thus of great concern. Although various chemotherapeutic drugs are currently used for the treatment of HCC, severe side effects associated with these treatments have prompted interest in novel therapies, including the use of certain biological macromolecules such as polysaccharides. Several studies have shown that polysaccharides have anticancer and antiproliferative effects on HCC. Vascular endothelial growth factor, transforming growth factor β, epidermal growth factor and fibroblast growth factor may be effective targets for polysaccharides and may modulate tumor growth and immunity through increasing the expression levels of cytokines. The present review focuses on the ways in which growth factors contribute to the development of HCC, and on the anti-growth factor activities of natural and synthetic polysaccharides, as well as their effect on proinflammatory cytokines.