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World J Gastrointest Oncol. Nov 15, 2026; 18(11): 124074
Published online Nov 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.124074
Published online Nov 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.124074
GINS complex couples DNA replication stress to therapeutic resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma
Hao-Wen Yang, Wen-Jie Wu, Liu Yang, Affiliated Qujing Hospital, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650000, Yunnan Province, China
Xi Chen, Xing-Bao Fang, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Qujing Central Hospital of Yunnan Province, Qujing 655000, Yunnan Province, China
Author contributions: Chen X, Wu WJ, and Yang L contributed to writing, review & editing; Yang HW contributed to conceptualization, writing of original draft, and visualization (figures and tables); Chen X contributed to literature search and data curation; Wu WJ contributed to formal analysis and validation; Yang L contributed to investigation and methodology; Fang XB contributed to supervision, funding acquisition, project administration, and final approval of the manuscript. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
AI contribution statement: All contents of this manuscript, including AI-assisted text, are the sole responsibility of all authors. All AI outputs were thoroughly checked and approved by authors. AI tools were not applied to generate raw data, perform data analysis or derive research conclusions.
Supported by the Science Research Fund Project of Yunnan Provincial Department of Education, No. 2026Y0383; and the Xingdian Talent Support Program.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Xing-Bao Fang, MD, Chief, Chief Physician, Professor, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Qujing Central Hospital of Yunnan Province, No. 1 Yuanlin Road, Qujing 655000, Yunnan Province, China. fangxingbao@kmmu.edu.cn
Received: June 5, 2026
Revised: June 30, 2026
Accepted: August 26, 2026
Published online: November 15, 2026
Processing time: 142 Days and 16.8 Hours
Revised: June 30, 2026
Accepted: August 26, 2026
Published online: November 15, 2026
Processing time: 142 Days and 16.8 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This review highlights the GINS complex, a core component of the CMG helicase, as a candidate molecular link between DNA replication stress adaptation, cancer stemness, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and therapeutic resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Current evidence is strongest for GINS1, GINS2, and GINS4, whereas HCC-specific functional validation of GINS3 remains limited. The GINS-CMG axis should therefore be viewed as a hypothesis-generating biomarker and translational concept rather than an established therapeutic target.