Topic: Novel Prognostic Marker and Potential Target for HCC

The integration of immunotherapy with anti-angiogenesis has shown promising results in patients with advanced liver cancer. However, despite these advancements, the overall prognosis for this disease remains unsatisfactory. Currently, it is still a challenge to accurately predict which patients will derive optimal benefit from existing therapy options, including second-line treatments with targeted multi-kinase inhibitors, despite their decade-long use.

The evolving landscape of immunotherapy, extending beyond immune checkpoint inhibitors, coupled with the increasing prevalence of MASH-related HCC, underscores the critical need for enhanced prognostic and predictive biomarkers. Such markers would facilitate risk monitoring, early detection, and the identification of novel therapeutic targets to advance treatment efficacy. This imperative encompasses various approaches, including molecular and digital pathology, molecular and functional imaging, immune phenotyping from tissue and liquid biopsies, and the application of novel deep learning and artificial intelligence algorithms utilizing comprehensive disease- and stage-specific databases.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Biomarkers for immunotherapy;
2. Novel targets for immunotherapy;
3. Molecular imaging for immunotherapy;
4. Novel disease monitoring biomarkers;
5. Biomarkers for MASH-related HCC;
6. Treatment of MASH-related HCC;
7. Liquid biopsies;
8. AI-based biomarkers;
9. AI-based drug discovery and development;
10. New drugs for HCC;
11. Difficult targets (myc, p53) for drug development;
12. Translational and back-translational studies.

30 Jun 2024