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Applied Sciences OPEN ACCESS

Differential Gene Expression and Pathway Analysis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Taru Gupta
Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Sonia Chadha
Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
DOI Crossref DOI 10.37547/tajas/warm-30
tajas 2026
JOURNAL PUBLICATION MAY
FULL TEXT PP. 357-366
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VOLUME —
ISSUE —
YEAR 2026
PAGES 357-366
RESEARCH OVERVIEW

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver and is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality (death) worldwide. Its incidence is particularly high in areas where hepatitis B and C virus infections are endemic, as well as in patients with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. HCC is often diagnosed at an advanced stage because of the lack of specific early clinical symptoms, resulting in limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Recent advances in genomics, transcriptomics and bioinformatics have provided insight into the molecular mechanisms of HCC initiation and progression. Analysis of differential gene expression and functional enrichment and pathways analysis have helped identify key regulatory genes, hub genes and dysregulated signalling pathways associated with tumour development. In this report, we discuss the gene expression profiles of HCC by means of high-throughput data analysis, particularly on the identification of possible biomarkers for early diagnosis and novel therapeutic targets. We also discuss integration of bioinformatics tools like STRING, Cytoscape and DAVID for construction of interaction networks, functional annotation of genes and visualization of enriched pathways. The findings highlight the necessity of molecular profiling for the understanding of the complexity of HCC and the progress of personalized medicine. Further studies are needed to translate these molecular insights into effective diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic strategies with improved clinical outcomes in HCC patients.

RESEARCH TOPICS

Keywords

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Hub Gene Primary Liver Tumor DEGs HCC.

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