Value of Sal-like 4 in the diagnosis and treatment of primary liver cancer / 临床肝胆病杂志

ABSTRACT

Sal-like 4 (SALL4) is a transcription factor that helps to maintain self-renewal and pluripotency of stem cells. This gene is expressed in the human fetal liver, but is silent in the healthy adult liver. It has been reported that SALL4 has a diagnostic value in a variety of solid tumors. These characteristics make SALL4 a possible tumor biomarker for liver cancer. This article reviews the recent advances in the role of SALL4 in the development, progression, metastasis, and other biological processes of primary liver cancer, as well as its role in predicting the prognosis of primary liver cancer. We believe that with further studies, SALL4 and related microRNAs may become new markers for the diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic evaluation of primary liver cancer.