Okpete UE, Byeon H. Elevated ETV4 expression in cholangiocarcinoma is linked to poor prognosis and may guide targeted therapies. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2024; 16(11): 4528-4531 [PMID: 39554735 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v16.i11.4528]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Haewon Byeon, DSc, PhD, Academic Editor, Associate Professor, Director, Department of Digital Anti-Aging Healthcare (BK21), Inje University, No. 197 Injero, Gimhae 50834, South Korea. bhwpuma@naver.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Nov 15, 2024; 16(11): 4528-4531 Published online Nov 15, 2024. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v16.i11.4528
Elevated ETV4 expression in cholangiocarcinoma is linked to poor prognosis and may guide targeted therapies
Uchenna E Okpete, Haewon Byeon
Uchenna E Okpete, Haewon Byeon, Department of Digital Anti-Aging Healthcare (BK21), Inje University, Gimhae 50834, South Korea
Author contributions: Okpete UE and Byeon H contributed to this paper; Byeon H designed the study; Okpete UE involved in data interpretation, developed methodology; Okpete UE and Byeon H assisted with writing the article.
Conflict-of-interest statement: No benefits in any form have been received or will be received from a commercial party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Haewon Byeon, DSc, PhD, Academic Editor, Associate Professor, Director, Department of Digital Anti-Aging Healthcare (BK21), Inje University, No. 197 Injero, Gimhae 50834, South Korea. bhwpuma@naver.com
Received: August 25, 2024 Revised: September 21, 2024 Accepted: October 8, 2024 Published online: November 15, 2024 Processing time: 60 Days and 21.1 Hours
Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a highly aggressive bile duct cancer, is associated with late-stage diagnosis and limited treatment options, leading to poor patient outcomes. Early detection and personalized treatment strategies are crucial. The study by Wang et al highlights the prognostic potential of the PEA3 subfamily genes (ETV1, ETV4, and ETV5) in CCA, identifying ETV4 as a particularly promising biomarker. Their bioinformatic analysis revealed that elevated ETV4 expression correlates with poorer survival, positioning it as a strong indicator of disease progression. These findings suggest that ETV4 could enhance prognostic precision and guide personalized therapies, although further validation through large-scale clinical trials is essential. Challenges in clinical application include the need for comprehensive experimental validation and addressing the tumor heterogeneity in CCA. Future research should focus on validating these biomarkers in diverse cohorts and developing targeted therapies, especially in regions where CCA is endemic.
Core Tip: Cholangiocarcinoma is a highly aggressive cancer with limited treatment options. The recent study by Wang et al highlights the prognostic value of the PEA3 subfamily genes (ETV1, ETV4, and ETV5), especially ETV4, as key indicators of poor survival. Elevated ETV4 expression is linked to aggressive tumor behavior and worse outcomes. These findings offer potential for personalized treatment strategies, but further large-scale validation is required to integrate ETV4 as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in clinical practice, particularly in high-incidence regions.
