Diana Liberata Esposito

Dr. Diana Liberata Esposito

Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, and Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

4Years (2023-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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22 June 2023 in Microorganisms
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
TCTeresa Catalano
Teresa Catalano
FSFederico Selvaggi
Federico Selvaggi
Diana Liberata EspositoDiana Liberata Esposito
Diana Liberata Esposito
RCRoberto Cotellese
Roberto Cotellese
Gitana Maria AcetoGitana Maria Aceto
Gitana Maria Aceto
Interaction between infectious agents and liver tissue, as well as repeated and extreme biological events beyond adaptive capacities, may result in pathological conditions predisposing people to development of primary liver cancers (PLCs). In adults, PLCs mainly comprise hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Various infectious agents in the hepatic microenvironment can destabilize normal liver cell functions by modulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway components. Among them, hepatotropic viruses B, C, and D are involved in Wnt/β-catenin signaling dysregulation. Other microbial agents, including oncogenic viruses such as Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and human papilloma virus (HPV), bacteria, e.g., Mycoplasma hyorhinis and Salmonella Typhi, the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, the fungus Aspergillus flavus, and liver flukes such as Clonorchissinensis or Opisthorchis viverrini, may induce malignant transformation in hepatocytes or in target cells of the biliary tract through aberrant Wnt signaling activation. This review focuses on new insights into infectious agents implicated in the deregulation of Wnt signaling and PLC development. Since the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is a driver of cancer following viral and bacterial infections, molecules inhibiting the complex axis of Wnt signaling could represent novel therapeutic approaches in PLC treatment.