Liver cancer ranks as the third leading cause of cancer – related deaths and the sixth most prevalent cancer globally. In China, the number of new liver cancer cases and deaths accounts for approximately half of the world’s total, highlighting the urgent need for effective prevention and treatment strategies. In recent years, scientists have made continuous breakthroughs in liver cancer research, bringing new hope for preventing the effects of poor diet, fatty liver, and liver cancer itself.
In the exploration of pathogenesis, numerous research achievements have emerged. A team led by Researcher He Feng from the Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, in collaboration with a US – based research team, published a research paper online in Journal of Hepatology, a journal of the European Association for the Study of the Liver. The study found that the transcription factor ATF4, a downstream component of the endoplasmic reticulum stress/integrated stress response, has different functions in normal liver cells and cancer cells. In normal liver cells, although knocking out the ATF4 gene can reduce fat accumulation in the liver, it increases the sensitivity of liver cells to ferroptosis and enhances the inflammatory response in the liver, thereby promoting the occurrence of liver cancer. However, when the stress response induces an up – regulation of ATF4 expression, it can cooperate with the oxidative stress transcription factor NRF2 to regulate the expression of SLC7A11/xCT, a key protein in ferroptosis, inhibit ferroptosis, protect damaged liver cells, and reduce the risk of inflammation and inflammatory transformation into liver cancer. This research provides a new perspective for liver cancer prevention and treatment, suggesting that ATF4 may be a crucial target for preventing liver cancer.
Professor Yu Jun and Liu Dabin from the School of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong published a paper in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Their research revealed a mechanism by which non – alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) triggers liver cancer. They found that the expression level of “squalene epoxidase” in liver cancer cells is significantly increased. The overexpression of this enzyme promotes the accumulation of cholesterol esters in liver cells and increases oxidative stress levels, altering the methylation levels within the cells, thus facilitating the development of liver cancer. Experiments have also confirmed that the commonly used antifungal drug “terbinafine” can effectively inhibit the expression of this enzyme, suppress the growth of tumor cells, prevent the occurrence of liver cancer, and significantly prolong the survival time of mice with liver cancer.
In the research on preventive intervention measures, the findings of a scientific team from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) published in the journal Cell Metabolism have attracted much attention. The study showed that the 5:2 fasting method (limiting or completely abstaining from calorie intake for 2 days a week) can effectively prevent and improve Western – diet – induced non – alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver fibrosis, and limit the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The study identified the key proteins PPARα and PCK1, which work together to increase fatty acid breakdown and gluconeogenesis and inhibit fat accumulation. Experiments showed that compared with the control group, mice in the fasting group had lower body weight, blood glucose, and blood lipid levels, and less severe fatty liver problems. Liver fat degeneration, fibrosis, and inflammation were also significantly improved.
In addition, new products and technological achievements for liver cancer prevention have emerged. The Institute of Functional and Healthy Foods at Qingdao University has innovatively launched “Qingying Liver Peptide”, a compound nutritional supplement that combines modern technology with traditional ingredients. Its core ingredient, detoxified pig liver peptide, is extracted from the livers of healthy young pigs and contains small – molecule active peptides and special functional amino acids, which can promote the regeneration and repair of liver cells, enhance immune protection, and potentially inhibit liver cell fibrosis. The product also integrates ingredients such as turmeric extract, oyster peptide, and papaya powder, providing multi – dimensional support for liver health.
In terms of innovative treatment technologies, a team led by Professor Ye Sheng from Tianjin University screened the natural compound “silybin” from a traditional Chinese medicine compound library. Experimental tests have shown that it can effectively inhibit the growth of liver cancer cells. A research team from Guangxi Medical University has pioneered a new broad – spectrum oncolytic virus therapy called “labeling cancer cells with ‘pig’ tags”. They integrated the gene encoding porcine a1,3 – galactosyltransferase into Newcastle disease virus to construct a recombinant oncolytic virus, which marks cancer cells as “foreign” and enables them to be attacked by the immune system. Clinical trials have shown that the disease control rate for eight major types of cancer reaches 90%.
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