Targeting Ischemia-Induced Autophagy Dependence in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the most commonly used therapy for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). TACE is a minimally invasive procedure that involves placing a catheter into the artery in the liver that feeds the tumor, administering chemotherapeutics and then blocking the artery with embolics in order to kill tumor cells by depriving them of essential oxygen and nutrients. While TACE has a proven survival benefit, local recurrence is common, and long-term survival rates are poor. Prior studies demonstrate that HCC cells survive the oxygen and nutrient d