Human and experimental hepatocarcinogenesis

Human liver cancer is increasing worldwide, including in Hungary. The detec tion of liver tumors in premalignant or early malignant states is essential for successful treatment. MC-29 virus-induced chicken hepatoma and rodent, fish and monkey models for chemical hepatocarcinogenesis were studied and compared to humans. Changes in phenotypic enzyme alterations and in the exp ression of certain oncogens and growth factors characterize the experimenta lly induced hepatomas, and might also be characteristic of human premaligna nt and malignant focal liver lesions. Fish hepatocarcinogenesis is useful f or studying compounds in environmental pollution. Increased expression of t ransforming growth factor a can be observed both in experimental and human liver tumors. Increased tumor incidence was detected in transgene mice cont aining both transforming growth factor alpha and c-myc genes. Animal models of hepatocarcinogenesis help to understand the development of liver tumors . Methods applied in studies using those models are useful in the study of premalignant and malignant human liver lesions.