Mouse models for investigating the underlying mechanisms of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-derived hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

As the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) caused by infection with the hepatotropic viruses hepatitis B and hepatitis C decreases, greater attention has become focused on HCC caused by nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an advanced form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease which has shown increasing prevalence in correspondence with the overall increase in metabolic syndrome over the recent decades. Several clinical population studies have shown a positive relationship between NASH and HCC, while also providing initial insights into the underlying mechanisms of HCC development from NASH. Research into the pathological progression of NASH to HCC has advanced by use of several beneficial rodent models. In this review, we summarize the established mouse models for preclinical research of NASH-associated HCC and discuss the underlying hepatic mechanisms of NASH-related tumorigenesis identified to date that could lead to new targets for treatment and prevention.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Core tip: This review provides a brief overview of the molecular mechanisms underlying progression to hepatocellular carcinoma from nonalcoholic steatohepatitis that have been identified to date using the array of mouse models currently available and popular in the experimental field.