miR-486-5p and Liver Cancer Therapy

Stemming the rising tide of global ill health from liver disorders, hepatologists worldwide have never been challenged as such. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) poses a heavy burden globally, it is the 5th most prevalent malignancy worldwide. Pivoting on the geographic region, in Egypt, the incidence of HCC has marked a culminate doubling over the last decade which is attributed to the simultaneous plague with the highest prevalence of HCV in the world. Unfortunately, HCC is notoriously resistant to chemotherapy and other treatment modalities, a matter that urged the need for alternative therapeutic approaches. Recently, a promising era of immunotherapy is invading the field of solid malignancies mainly focusing on boosting the humans own innate immunity to combat cancer. Accordingly, I have focused in my work on the epigenetic modulation of NK cells by miR-486-5p as essential corner stones in the innate immune system and as the principle initiators of the fight against malignancy. Part of this work has been published in Oncology Letters and presented in the EASL international Liver congress, Vienna 2015 and ranked from the top 10% e-posters in the conference.