MicroRNA Dynamics in Hepatitis B Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Summary
Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide, in which microRNAs (miRNAs) act as pivotal modulators. Dysregulated miRNA expression in hepatocytes can promote tumour initiation, progression and metastasis by altering pathways controlling apoptosis, cell proliferation, immune responses and metabolism. Viral factors, notably the HBx protein and polymerase, interact with host miRNA biogenesis and function, leading to both up- and down-regulation of tumour suppressor and oncogenic miRNAs. Circulating and intrahepatic miRNA profiles have emerged as sensitive biomarkers for disease staging, prognosis and therapeutic response, offering a non-invasive window into tumour biology. Recent advances have integrated high-throughput sequencing, quantitative PCR and computational modelling to map miRNA–mRNA networks, revealing novel regulatory axes such as the miR-30b-5p/MINPP1 and miR-520b/HBXIP circuits that underpin metabolic rewiring and metastatic behaviour in HBV-related HCC. This evolving landscape underscores the global significance of miRNA dynamics for early detection, patient stratification and the development of miRNA-based therapeutics.
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MicroRNA Dynamics in Hepatitis B Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in microrna dynamics in hepatitis b virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
microRNA (miRNA): small non-coding RNA molecules (~22 nucleotides) that regulate gene expression by targeting messenger RNA transcripts for degradation or translational repression.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): the most common primary liver cancer, often arising in the setting of chronic liver disease such as HBV infection.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV): a DNA virus that infects hepatocytes and can establish chronic infection, leading to liver inflammation, cirrhosis and cancer.
Viremia: the presence and level of virus particles circulating in the bloodstream, commonly quantified to assess infection severity.
Bioinformatics: the application of computational methods to analyse and interpret large-scale biological data, such as miRNA expression profiles.
References
- Hepatitis B Virus and microRNAs: A Bioinformatics Approach. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
- A MicroRNA-Based Method for High-Viremia Detection—A New Approach on a Romanian Lot of Chronically Infected Patients with Hepatitis B Virus. Diagnostics (2023).
- The Predictive Role of miRNAs in Hepatitis B Vaccine Response of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease Patients. Viruses (2024).
- Hepatitis B virus P protein initiates glycolytic bypass in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma via a FOXO3/miRNA-30b-5p/MINPP1 axis. Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research (2021).
- Hepatitis B virus X protein accelerates hepatocarcinogenesis with partner survivin through modulating miR-520b and HBXIP. Molecular Cancer (2014).
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