Targeting Nerve Growth Factor May Lead To Cure For Liver Cancer, Study Suggests

Researchers from the National Research Council of Italy found that nerve growth factor and its receptor trkANGF were expressed in the livers of patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, while they are absent in healthy livers cells. This discovery hints that there is some correlation between the nerve growth factor and the development of the disease, whether it is a cause is unknown; however, researchers believe this finding can possibly be used to develop to interfere with the production of nerve growth factor in the liver and prevent these diseases. Also, it is also believed that this discovery could be used to diagnosis early liver cirrhosis and extracellular carcinoma.