REFERENCES

1. Miri-Lavasani Z, Torabi S, Solhi R, et al. Conjugated linoleic acid treatment attenuates cancerous features in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Stem Cells Int 2022;2022:1850305.

2. Shokouhian B, Negahdari B, Heydari Z, et al. HNF4α is possibly the missing link between epithelial-mesenchymal transition and Warburg effect during hepatocarcinogenesis. Cancer Sci 2023;114:1337-52.

3. Jeng KS, Jeng CJ, Jeng WJ, et al. Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway as a potential target to inhibit the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2019;18:4377-84.

4. WHO. Data visualization tools for exploring the global cancer burden in 2022. Available from: https://gco.iarc.fr/today/online-analysis-pie?v=2020&mode=cancer&mode_population=continents&population=900&populations=900&key=total&sex=0&cancer=39&type=1&statistic=5&prevalence=0&population_group=0&ages_group%5B%5D=0&ages_group%5B%5D=17&nb_items=7&group_cancer=0&include_nmsc=0&include_nmsc_other=1&half_pie=0&donut=0. [Last accessed on 28 Jul 2024].

5. Suresh D, Srinivas AN, Kumar DP. Etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma: special focus on fatty liver disease. Front Oncol 2020;10:601710.

6. Aasadollahei N, Rezaei N, Golroo R, Agarwal T, Vosough M, Piryaei A. Bioengineering liver microtissues for modeling non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. EXCLI J 2023;22:367-91.

7. Whittaker S, Marais R, Zhu AX. The role of signaling pathways in the development and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncogene 2010;29:4989-5005.

8. Carballo GB, Honorato JR, de Lopes GPF, Spohr TCLSE. A highlight on Sonic hedgehog pathway. Cell Commun Signal 2018;16:11.

9. Della Corte CM, Viscardi G, Papaccio F, et al. Implication of the Hedgehog pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastroenterol 2017;23:4330-40.

10. Skoda AM, Simovic D, Karin V, Kardum V, Vranic S, Serman L. The role of the Hedgehog signaling pathway in cancer: a comprehensive review. Bosn J Basic Med Sci 2018;18:8-20.

11. Zheng X, Zeng W, Gai X, et al. Role of the Hedgehog pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma (review). Oncol Rep 2013;30:2020-6.

12. Omenetti A, Choi S, Michelotti G, Diehl AM. Hedgehog signaling in the liver. J Hepatol 2011;54:366-73.

13. Gao L, Zhang Z, Zhang P, Yu M, Yang T. Role of canonical Hedgehog signaling pathway in liver. Int J Biol Sci 2018;14:1636-44.

14. Filgueira NA. Hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after liver transplantation: risk factors, screening and clinical presentation. World J Hepatol 2019;11:261-72.

15. Shokouhian B, Aboulkheyr Es H, Negahdari B, et al. Hepatogenesis and hepatocarcinogenesis: alignment of the main signaling pathways. J Cell Physiol 2022;237:3984-4000.

16. Fernandes-Silva H, Correia-Pinto J, Moura RS. Canonical sonic hedgehog signaling in early lung development. J Dev Biol 2017;5:3.

17. Niewiadomski P, Niedziółka SM, Markiewicz Ł, Uśpieński T, Baran B, Chojnowska K. Gli proteins: regulation in development and cancer. Cells 2019;8:147.

18. Sabol M, Trnski D, Musani V, Ozretić P, Levanat S. Role of GLI transcription factors in pathogenesis and their potential as new therapeutic targets. Int J Mol Sci 2018;19:2562.

19. Machado MV, Diehl AM. Hedgehog signalling in liver pathophysiology. J Hepatol 2018;68:550-62.

20. Jeng KS, Sheen IS, Jeng WJ, et al. High expression of patched homolog-1 messenger RNA and glioma-associated oncogene-1 messenger RNA of sonic hedgehog signaling pathway indicates a risk of postresection recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol 2013;20:464-73.

21. Dugum M, Hanouneh I, McIntyre T, et al. Sonic hedgehog signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma: a pilot study. Mol Clin Oncol 2016;4:369-74.

22. Shi C, Huang D, Lu N, et al. Aberrantly activated Gli2-KIF20A axis is crucial for growth of hepatocellular carcinoma and predicts poor prognosis. Oncotarget 2016;7:26206-19.

23. Harada K, Ohashi R, Naito K, Kanki K. Hedgehog signal inhibitor GANT61 inhibits the malignant behavior of undifferentiated hepatocellular carcinoma cells by targeting non-canonical GLI signaling. Int J Mol Sci 2020;21:3126.

24. Wang S, Wang Y, Xun X, et al. Hedgehog signaling promotes sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma patient-derived organoids. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2020;39:22.

25. Li J, Cai H, Li H, et al. Combined inhibition of sonic Hedgehog signaling and histone deacetylase is an effective treatment for liver cancer. Oncol Rep 2019;41:1991-7.

26. Pinter M, Sieghart W, Schmid M, et al. Hedgehog inhibition reduces angiogenesis by downregulation of tumoral VEGF-A expression in hepatocellular carcinoma. United European Gastroenterol J 2013;1:265-75.

27. Wang Q, Huang S, Yang L, et al. Down-regulation of Sonic hedgehog signaling pathway activity is involved in 5-fluorouracil-induced apoptosis and motility inhibition in Hep3B cells. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin 2008;40:819-29.

28. de la Rosa J, Sánchez M, Enguita-Germán M, et al. Inhibition of the sonic hedgehog pathway by cyclopamine or GLI1 SiRNA reduces in vivo tumorigenesis of human medulloblastoma cells xenotransplanted to immunodeficient nude mice. Adv Transl Med Res 2017;1:1-5.

29. Du W, Liu X, Chen L, et al. Targeting the SMO oncogene by miR-326 inhibits glioma biological behaviors and stemness. Neuro Oncol 2015;17:243-53.

30. Hirotsu M, Setoguchi T, Sasaki H, et al. Smoothened as a new therapeutic target for human osteosarcoma. Mol Cancer 2010;9:5.

31. Leong PL, Andrews GA, Johnson DE, et al. Targeted inhibition of Stat3 with a decoy oligonucleotide abrogates head and neck cancer cell growth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2003;100:4138-43.

32. Youn SW, Park KK. Small-nucleic-acid-based therapeutic strategy targeting the transcription factors regulating the vascular inflammation, remodeling and fibrosis in atherosclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2015;16:11804-33.

33. Rahmati M, Johari B, Kadivar M, Rismani E, Mortazavi Y. Suppressing the metastatic properties of the breast cancer cells using STAT3 decoy oligodeoxynucleotides: a promising approach for eradication of cancer cells by differentiation therapy. J Cell Physiol 2020;235:5429-44.

34. Lin A, Giuliano CJ, Palladino A, et al. Off-target toxicity is a common mechanism of action of cancer drugs undergoing clinical trials. Sci Transl Med 2019;11:eaaw8412.

35. Kanda T, Goto T, Hirotsu Y, Moriyama M, Omata M. Molecular mechanisms driving progression of liver cirrhosis towards hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis B and C infections: a review. Int J Mol Sci 2019;20:1358.

36. Sia D, Villanueva A, Friedman SL, Llovet JM. Liver cancer cell of origin, molecular class, and effects on patient prognosis. Gastroenterology 2017;152:745-61.

37. Dongre A, Weinberg RA. New insights into the mechanisms of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and implications for cancer. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2019;20:69-84.

38. Ferlier T, Coulouarn C. Regulation of gene expression in cancer-an overview. Cells 2022;11:4058.

39. Villanueva A. Hepatocellular carcinoma. Reply. N Engl J Med 2019;381:e2.

40. Farzaneh Z, Vosough M, Agarwal T, Farzaneh M. Critical signaling pathways governing hepatocellular carcinoma behavior; small molecule-based approaches. Cancer Cell Int 2021;21:208.

41. Wang Y, Ding Q, Yen CJ, et al. The crosstalk of mTOR/S6K1 and Hedgehog pathways. Cancer Cell 2012;21:374-87.

42. Han Q, Wang Y, Pang M, Zhang J. STAT3-blocked whole-cell hepatoma vaccine induces cellular and humoral immune response against HCC. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2017;36:156.

43. Johari B, Rezaeejam H, Moradi M, et al. Increasing the colon cancer cells sensitivity toward radiation therapy via application of Oct4-Sox2 complex decoy oligodeoxynucleotides. Mol Biol Rep 2020;47:6793-805.

44. Asadi Z, Fathi M, Rismani E, Bigdelou Z, Johari B. Application of decoy oligodeoxynucleotides strategy for inhibition of cell growth and reduction of metastatic properties in nonresistant and erlotinib-resistant SW480 cell line. Cell Biol Int 2021;45:1001-14.

45. Johari B, Rahmati M, Nasehi L, Mortazavi Y, Faghfoori MH, Rezaeejam H. Evaluation of STAT3 decoy oligodeoxynucleotides’ synergistic effects on radiation and/or chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer cell line. Cell Biol Int 2020;44:2499-511.

46. Geiger JL, Grandis JR, Bauman JE. The STAT3 pathway as a therapeutic target in head and neck cancer: barriers and innovations. Oral Oncol 2016;56:84-92.

47. Nishimura A, Akeda K, Matsubara T, et al. Transfection of NF-κB decoy oligodeoxynucleotide suppresses pulmonary metastasis by murine osteosarcoma. Cancer Gene Ther 2011;18:250-9.

48. Zhang X, Zhang J, Wang L, Wei H, Tian Z. Therapeutic effects of STAT3 decoy oligodeoxynucleotide on human lung cancer in xenograft mice. BMC Cancer 2007;7:149.

49. Nwosu ZC, Battello N, Rothley M, et al. Liver cancer cell lines distinctly mimic the metabolic gene expression pattern of the corresponding human tumours. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2018;37:211.

50. Chen X, Cheng Q, She M, et al. Expression of sonic hedgehog signaling components in hepatocellular carcinoma and cyclopamine-induced apoptosis through Bcl-2 downregulation in vitro. Arch Med Res 2010;41:315-23.

51. Tang SN, Fu J, Nall D, Rodova M, Shankar S, Srivastava RK. Inhibition of sonic hedgehog pathway and pluripotency maintaining factors regulate human pancreatic cancer stem cell characteristics. Int J Cancer 2012;131:30-40.

52. Sun X, Zhang J, Wang L, Tian Z. Growth inhibition of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells by blocking STAT3 activation with decoy-ODN. Cancer Lett 2008;262:201-13.

53. Kawamura I, Morishita R, Tsujimoto S, et al. Intravenous injection of oligodeoxynucleotides to the NF-kappaB binding site inhibits hepatic metastasis of M5076 reticulosarcoma in mice. Gene Ther 2001;8:905-12.

54. Jeng KS, Chang CF, Tsang YM, Sheen IS, Jeng CJ. Reappraisal of the roles of the sonic hedgehog signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancers 2024;16:1739.

55. Zhang D, Cao L, Li Y, Lu H, Yang X, Xue P. Expression of glioma-associated oncogene 2 (Gli 2) is correlated with poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing hepatectomy. World J Surg Oncol 2013;11:25.

56. Didiasova M, Schaefer L, Wygrecka M. Targeting GLI transcription factors in cancer. Molecules 2018;23:1003.

57. Tomita T, Kunugiza Y, Tomita N, et al. E2F decoy oligodeoxynucleotide ameliorates cartilage invasion by infiltrating synovium derived from rheumatoid arthritis. Int J Mol Med 2006;18:257-65.

58. Sen M, Thomas SM, Kim S, et al. First-in-human trial of a STAT3 decoy oligonucleotide in head and neck tumors: implications for cancer therapy. Cancer Discov 2012;2:694-705.

59. Hecker M, Wagner AH. Transcription factor decoy technology: a therapeutic update. Biochem Pharmacol 2017;144:29-34.

60. Mahjoubin-Tehran M, Teng Y, Jalili A, Aghaee-Bakhtiari SH, Markin AM, Sahebkar A. Decoy technology as a promising therapeutic tool for atherosclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2021;22:4420.