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Review
. 2023 Feb 13;24(4):3710.
doi: 10.3390/ijms24043710.

Metabolism as a New Avenue for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Therapy

Davide Gnocchi  1 , Carlo Sabbà  1 , Mara Massimi  2 , Antonio Mazzocca  1
Affiliations
Review

Metabolism as a New Avenue for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Therapy

Davide Gnocchi et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma is today the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, despite the decreased incidence of chronic hepatitis infections. This is due to the increased diffusion of metabolic diseases such as the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The current protein kinase inhibitor therapies in HCC are very aggressive and not curative. From this perspective, a shift in strategy toward metabolic therapies may represent a promising option. Here, we review current knowledge on metabolic dysregulation in HCC and therapeutic approaches targeting metabolic pathways. We also propose a multi-target metabolic approach as a possible new option in HCC pharmacology.

Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); metabolism; multitarget metabolic systems; therapeutic approaches.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Metabolic enzymes that can be targeted in HCC. The metabolic pathways are depicted in white boxes, while metabolic targets are reported in light brown boxes. See the text for details. Illustrations have been realized with Biorender.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Current therapies and metabolism-based interventions for HCC. New metabolism-based therapeutics may provide promising tools for the treatment of HCC. See the text for details. Illustrations have been realized with Biorender.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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