Application of multi-omics in hepatocellular carcinoma: new prospects for classification and precise diagnosis and treatment

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a significant global health challenge, with a complex etiology and limited treatment options. The integration of multi-omics technologies, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, has revolutionized our understanding of HCC, offering novel insights into its molecular underpinnings. This comprehensive review synthesizes the current knowledge on the application of multi-omics in HCC, highlighting its role in disease classification, early detection, and the development of targeted therapies. We discuss the identification of key driver mutations and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that enhance risk prediction models, with implications for personalized medicine. The multi-omics approach has facilitated the discovery of distinct HCC subtypes, each with unique molecular signatures and tumor microenvironments (TME), which are critical for predicting prognosis and guiding treatment strategies. Furthermore, we explore the implications of these findings for precision medicine, emphasizing the potential of biomarker identification and targeted therapies, including immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). The review concludes by underscoring the transformative impact of multi-omics on HCC research and clinical practice, heralding a new era of personalized medicine with the promise of improved patient outcomes.

Keywords

Hepatocellular carcinoma / multi-omics / precision medicine / molecular classification / targeted therapy / immune checkpoint blockade

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