Biomedical subjects

Jesus M Banales

Publications and source records attributed to Jesus M Banales.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

The future of blood-based biomarkers in liver cancer.

Liquid biomarkers hold substantial promise in liver cancer, with potential applications in risk stratification, surveillance and early detection, therapeutic decision-making, and treatment-response monitoring. In parallel with oncologic advances, liquid biopsy has gained increasing attention. However, despite expanded research efforts, prospective clinical validation remains limited. While cell-free DNA-based detection of actionable alterations has entered clinical practice in select contexts, most candidate liquid biomarkers still require rigorous evaluation through translational research embedded in clinical trials and prospective cohort studies. In this review, we summarise the current landscape of blood-based biomarkers across the cancer care continuum for individuals at risk, or diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma and biliary tract cancers, and discuss the key challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Humans↗

PubMed2024

SUMOylation controls Hu antigen R posttranscriptional activity in liver cancer.

The posttranslational modification of proteins critically influences many biological processes and is a key mechanism that regulates the function of the RNA-binding protein Hu antigen R (HuR), a hub in liver cancer. Here, we show that HuR is SUMOylated in the tumor sections of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in contrast to the surrounding tissue, as well as in human cell line and mouse models of the disease. SUMOylation of HuR promotes major cancer hallmarks, namely proliferation and invasion, whereas the absence of HuR SUMOylation results in a senescent phenotype with dysfunctional mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. Mechanistically, SUMOylation induces a structural rearrangement of the RNA recognition motifs that modulates HuR binding affinity to its target RNAs, further modifying the transcriptomic profile toward hepatic tumor progression. Overall, SUMOylation constitutes a mechanism of HuR regulation that could be potentially exploited as a therapeutic strategy for liver cancer.

Animals↗