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Zhu et al. Hepatoma Res 2017;3:129-40 Hepatoma Research
DOI: 10.20517/2394-5079.2017.14
www.hrjournal.net
Review Open Access

Function of myeloid cell leukaemia-1 and

its regulative relations with hepatocellular

carcinoma

Man Zhu, Yan-Min Zhang

School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi, China.

Correspondence to: Dr. Yan-Min Zhang, School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi, China. E-mail:
zhang2008@mail.xjtu.edu.cn
How to cite this article: Zhu M, Zhang YM. Function of myeloid cell leukaemia-1 and its regulative relations with hepatocellular carcinoma.
Hepatoma Res 2017;3:129-40.

ABSTRACT
Article history: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a challenging disease with a high recurrence rate
Received: 07-04-2017 after surgery and there is an imminent need to identify new treatments. Currently, adjuvant
Accepted: 12-06-2017 therapy like chemotherapeutics arises to counteract the malignant trait escaping from apoptosis
Published: 06-07-2017 of tumors induced by overexpressed anti-apoptotic factors in HCC. Myeloid cell leukaemia-1
(Mcl-1) as an anti-apoptotic member of Bcl-2 is highly expressed in diverse human cancers,
Key words: which contributes to cancer cell survival and the resistance to diverse chemotherapeutic
Myeloid cell leukaemia-1, agents. It is confirmed that Mcl-1 protein expression is quite enhanced in human HCC tissue
apoptosis, compared to adjacent non-tumor tissue. Correspondingly, forced Mcl-1 down-regulation
hepatocellular carcinoma, leads to prominent apoptosis of HCC cells and a sensitization towards chemotherapeutic
target drug-induced apoptosis, which indicates Mcl-1 is indeed a crucial regulatory factor of HCC.
Hence, this review highlights the function of Mcl-1 on HCC progression, how it is regulated
in HCC and the recent anti-hepatoma drug research and development down-regulation of
Mcl-1 or targeting on Mcl-1. Meanwhile, the authors discuss Mcl-1 as an essential regulatory
factor in HCC can be designed as target for drugs to improve the survival of HCC patients.

INTRODUCTION were at early stage, whereas the majority of patients
with advanced disease undergone the torture of
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), being the sixth most illness and were not suitable to receive surgery due to
common cancer worldwide, represents the second various reasons. [2,3] Although chemotherapy is known
most common cause of cancer-related mortality in the as a vital management for advanced HCC, inherent
world and the incidence and mortality rates continue resistance to chemotherapeutics by HCC cells makes
[1]
to rise all over the world. The main reasons may be late it hard to have a good effect on the disease. Therefore,
diagnosis and poor treatment options. To date, surgical identification of new drugs targeting different signaling
resection, local treatment and liver transplantation can pathways is urgently needed to improve the survival of
only cure a small number of patients whose disease HCC patients. This review summarizes the current
[4]
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