Research on Liver Cancer Reported by a Researcher at First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (DNA methylation and gene expression profiling reveal potential association of retinol metabolism related genes with hepatocellular carcinoma...).

A recent study conducted at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in China explored the role of DNA methylation in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a type of liver cancer. The researchers used whole genome bisulfite sequencing and RNA sequencing techniques to analyze the methylation and gene expression profiles of HCC tissues and normal adjacent tissues. They identified differentially methylated regions and differentially expressed genes between HCCs and normal tissues, and found that four genes involved in retinol metabolism were hyper-downregulated in HCC. These genes were associated with distinct survival outcomes, immune cell infiltration, and tumor microenvironments. The study provides insights into the molecular characteristics of HCC and may have implications for diagnosis, prognosis prediction, and the development of therapeutic targets. [Extracted from the article]