Untersuchungen zur differentiellen Bedeutung des adaptiven Immunsystems für die FAA-induzierte Hepatitis und Hepatokarzinogenese

肿瘤通常发生在炎症部位，慢性炎症在许多恶性肿瘤的发病机制中起着越来越重要的作用。恶性肿瘤的每一阶段似乎都极易受到免疫细胞调节的影响。激活适应性免疫系统对肿瘤的反应可能会导致恶性细胞的根除。另一方面，渗入肿瘤和癌前病变的免疫细胞产生各种细胞因子和趋化因子，传播局部的炎症反应，也可以促进癌前细胞的生长和存活。肝细胞癌是世界上最致命和最常见的癌症之一，是与炎症相关的癌症的典型病例。越来越多的证据表明，免疫系统参与了肝癌的发生。了解免疫系统促肿瘤特性的分子机制对于通过增强抗肿瘤反应或中和免疫细胞的促癌特性来减缓肝癌的发生至关重要。我们研究的目的是确定免疫系统在慢性损伤期间肝脏肿瘤发展中的作用。我们的长期目标是通过药物激活或灭活关键致癌途径来寻找新的治疗策略，以防止或至少延缓肝肿瘤的发展。

Tumors often arise at sites of inflammation and chronic inflammation is increasingly recognized to be important in the pathogenesis of many malignancies. Each stage of malignancies appears to be exquisitely susceptible to regulation of immune cells. Activation of the adaptive immune system in response to tumors might result in eradication of malignant cells. On the other hand, immune cells, which infiltrate tumors and pre-neoplastic lesions, produce a variety of cytokines and chemokines that propagate a localized inflammatory response and that can also enhance the growth and survival of premalignant cells. Hepatocellular carcinoma, which is one of the most lethal and prevalent cancers worldwide, represents a classic case of inflammation-linked cancer. There is increasing evidence indicating that the immune system contributes to heptocarcinogenesis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the tumor promoting properties of the immune system is critical to any effort to slow down hepatocarcinogenesis by either bolstering anti-tumor responses or by neutralizing cancer-promoting properties of immune cells. The aim of our study is to define the role of the immune system for tumor development in the liver during chronic injury. Our longterm aim is to find novel treatment strategies through pharmacologic activation or inactivation of key oncogenic pathways to prevent or at least delay liver tumor development.