Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41193449›Full record

ReviewCurrent topics in medicinal chemistry2026

Liver Cancer Bone Metastasis: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Insights.

Jing Sun, Lei Liu, Hanqing Zhang, Litao Huo, Shufeng Zhang, Shibo Huang, Bo Gao, Jigong Wu, Zhiming Chen

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Current topics in medicinal chemistry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Jing SunDepartment of Spine Surgery, The Ninth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100101, China.
Lei LiuDepartment of Gastroenterology, The Ninth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100101, China.
Hanqing ZhangDepartment of Spine Surgery, The Ninth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100101, China.
Litao HuoDepartment of Spine Surgery, The Ninth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100101, China.
Shufeng ZhangDepartment of Spine Surgery, The Ninth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100101, China.
Shibo HuangDepartment of Spine Surgery, The Ninth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100101, China.
Bo GaoDepartment of Spine Surgery, The Ninth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100101, China.
Jigong WuDepartment of Spine Surgery, The Ninth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100101, China.
Zhiming ChenDepartment of Spine Surgery, The Ninth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100101, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Liver cancer is a highly aggressive malignancy, and bone metastasis is a severe complication that negatively affects prognosis and quality of life. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying liver cancer bone metastasis remain poorly understood. This review examined recent advances related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs), with a focus on surface markers, interactions within bone marrow (BM) niche, and relevant signaling pathways. Liver cancer bone metastasis is driven by EMT activation, CTC dissemination, and LCSC colonization in BM niches. Surface markers such as CD133, CD44, CD90, CD13, EpCAM, and OV6 contribute to tumor heterogeneity, dormancy, and therapy resistance. Key processes such as BM homing, osteolysis, and immune suppression are regulated through the osteoblast-osteoclast-cancer stem cell (OB-OC-CSC) axis and CXCL12-CXCR4 signaling. Dormancy-regulating molecules, including Annexin II, GAS6, osteopontin, TSP-1, tenascin C, and fibronectin, further determine CSCs' quiescence or reactivation. These insights highlighted the complexity of liver cancer bone metastasis, and suggested potential therapeutic strategies targeting EMT, LCSCs, and OB-OC-CSC crosstalk. Future studies are encouraged to validate marker functions in clinical cohorts, elucidate dormancy-exit mechanisms, and explore immunomodulatory interventions to overcome microenvironment-mediated resistance.

Indexed as

Bone NeoplasmsLiver NeoplasmsAnimalsEpithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionHumansNeoplastic Stem CellsBone metastasisCancer stem cell dormancyEpithelial-mesenchymal transitionLiver cancerLiver cancer stem cellsOsteoblast-osteoclast-cancer stem cell axisOsteoblastosteoclast- cancer stem cell axis.Pre-metastatic nicheTherapeutics

Identifiers

PMID41193449

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.