FGF19–<i>FGFR4</i> Signaling in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common type of cancer, with an increasing mortality rate. Aberrant expression of fibroblast growth factor 19−fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGF19−FGFR4) is reported to be an oncogenic-driver pathway for HCC patients. Thus, the FGF19−FGFR4 signaling pathway is a promising target for the treatment of HCC. Several pan-FGFR (1−4) and FGFR4-specific inhibitors are in different phases of clinical trials. In this review, we summarize the information, recent developments, binding modes, selectivity, and clinical trial phases of different available FGFR4/pan-FGF inhibitors. We also discuss future perspectives and highlight the points that should be addressed to improve the efficacy of these inhibitors.

Keywords

• prognosis
• <i>FGF19</i>
• <i>FGFR4</i>
• HCC
• inhibitors