Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Primary hepatocellular carcinoma is a common malignant tumor in clinic. Although various treatment measures such as surgery, radio frequency ablation, selective arterial embolization have made progresses, these treatments are not suitable for a few patients who suffered from advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Under such circumstances, more researchers are concerned with the therapeutical or inhibitory effects of stem cells on malignant tumors.
OBJECTIVE: To review incidence, immunoediting process, microenvironment of primary hepatocellular carcinoma and suppressive effect of hematopoietic stem cells on it or other solid malignant tumors.
METHODS: Computer-based online search of Wanfang database and Foreign Medical Journal full-text Service database was performed for literatures concerning incidence, immune microenvironment of primary hepatocellular carcinoma and suppressive effect of hematopoietic stem cells on solid malignant tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma published between January 2000 and September 2010. The key words were “hepatocellular carcinoma, hematopoietic stem cell, microenvironment”. Finally, 33 literatures were included.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Occurrence and development of the tumor closely associated with changes in the body immune system. In the body with a tumor, the immune system is under inhibitory state, and has no response or low response to malignant tumor cells. Umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cells were characterized by low immunogenicity, strong fission ability and wide differentiation lineage. Umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cells can differentiate into various lineages of cells in the body following transplantation, including many immune cells, which can supplement the defects of the immune system, and kill tumor cells, and inhibit tumor growth. However, its action mechanism, indication and adverse effect need more explorations.