Cerium oxide nanoparticles may improve hepatocellular carcinoma prognosis

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common liver cancer and ranks third in the world in terms of mortality. Its appearance is related to the hepatitis B and C viruses, alcoholism, metabolic diseases of the liver and exposure to certain toxins. Although its molecular mechanisms have been described in detail, no effective treatment is currently available after the early stages of the disease. When ablation is no longer possible, the best therapeutic approaches fail to stop the progression of the cancer. According to the journal Hepatology, this could change thanks to an experimental treatment based on cerium oxide nanoparticles on which the Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) and the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) have been jointly working for some time.