It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in man and the sixth in women worldwide. An estimated 748,300 new liver cancer cases and 695,900 liver cancer deaths occurred in 2008. However, mechanisms of initiation and progression of liver cancer have not been elucidated completely. Long term survival rate remains unsatisfactory www.selleckchem.com/products/Sorafenib-Tosylate.html due to tumor recurrence and limited response to chemo therapy and radiotherapy. Clinically, 70 90% of HCC cases develop due to a background of cirrhosis or chronic liver inflammation. So far, there is a lack of effective systemic therapy for advanced cases. Only 10 20% of HCC patients in China are able to undergo surgical resec tion due to poor liver function or advanced disease. In the West, 40% of patients can receive potential curative treatment and 20% are suitable for chemoembolization.

Therefore, development and identification of novel agents that are able to suppress HCC effectively is imperative for advanced HCC patients. The advent of sorafenib and syn thetic dsRNAs increases chemotherapeutic options for these advanced patients. In the past years, sorafenib, a multi kinase inhibitor, represents a breakthrough in the management of this neo plasm. It is a bi aryl urea capable of inhibiting mul tiple receptors of tyrosine kinases and Ser Thr kinases. These include but are not limited to all iso forms of Raf, all isoforms of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors, and platelet depedent growth factor receptor B.

This multifunctional profile lends itself to inhibition of tumors via the Ras Raf MEK pathway, activation and proliferation of endothelial cells via VEGFR 2 and the Ras Raf MEK pathway, recruitment of pericytes via PDGFR B, recruitment of stabilizing stromal cells to the tumors parenchyma, as well as subsequent stimulation of stromal cells through growth factors. The above effects of sorafenib are similar to that observed with rastu zumab in breast cancer, bevacizumab in colon cancer, and erlotinib in lung cancer with a decrease in the risk of death in the range of 25% 35%. The above evidence that increase the efficacy of molecular targeted therapies for liver cancer has triggered a search for additional molecular agents to further prolong patient survival. TLR3, a member of the Toll like receptor fam ily, can recognize double stranded RNA from viruses, endogenous dsRNA released from dying cells, or synthetic dsRNA such as polyriboinosinic,polyribocy tidylic acid.

TLR3 signaling depends solely on the TLR TIR domain which contains the adaptor inducing IFN ? adapter protein. This leads to ac tivation license with Pfizer of the NFB and IRF3 transcription factors, and as a result, induces the antiviral interferon response. Furthermore, TRIF itself exhibits proapoptotic activity, suggesting that TLR3 signaling can trigger cell death pathway.