Glypican 3

Background

Glypican 3 is a heparin sulfate glycoprotein and a carcinoembryonic protein. It is expressed in the syncytiotrophoblast cell layer of embryonic liver and placental tissue. GPC3 has been identified as a useful tumor marker for the diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), hepatoblastoma, melanoma, testicular germ cell tumors, and Wilms' tumor. GPC3 protein has been shown to be expressed in most hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), but not in normal liver nor benign hepatic lesions, including dysplastic and cirrhotic nodules. Several studies report that GPC3 is a sensitive diagnostic marker for HCC and a tool for differentiating HCC from non-neoplastic and pre-neoplastic liver disease.