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World J Gastrointest Oncol. Apr 15, 2026; 18(4): 116104
Published online Apr 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v18.i4.116104
Published online Apr 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v18.i4.116104
MicroRNA-206 suppresses hypoxia-inducible factor-1α/PFKFB3-mediated glycolysis to inhibit recurrence and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma after incomplete radiofrequency ablation
Dong Lu, Jun Jiang, Yan-Lin Tang, Department of Interventional Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230601, Anhui Province, China
Li-Jun Wang, Department of Radiology, College & Hospital of Stomatology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui Province, China
Jie Chai, Department of Interventional Radiology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310022, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: Lu D conceived and supervised the study; Wang LJ and Chai J contributed to the experimental design and assisted with data acquisition; Jiang J performed the animal procedures and contributed to data interpretation; Tang YL carried out molecular and cellular experiments, analyzed the data, and prepared the figures; Lu D and Tang YL drafted the manuscript, all authors contributed to manuscript revision; and all authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Supported by Key Project Supported by Anhui Health and Scientific Research Foundation, No. AHWJ2024Aa10119; and Key Research and Development Projects of Anhui Province, No. 201904a07020091.
Institutional review board statement: The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of Anhui Provincial Hospital (Approval No. 2019KY40).
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: All procedures followed the National Institutes of Health guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals (NIH Publication No. 85-23, revised 1985). The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of Anhui Provincial Hospital (Approval No. 2019KY40).
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Data sharing statement: The datasets generated or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request at ludong@ahmu.edu.cn. All key data supporting the findings are included within the article.
Corresponding author: Dong Lu, MD, PhD, Department of Interventional Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No. 678 Furong Road, Hefei 230601, Anhui Province, China. hyjh2004@126.com
Received: November 3, 2025
Revised: November 19, 2025
Accepted: January 4, 2026
Published online: April 15, 2026
Processing time: 157 Days and 3.8 Hours
Revised: November 19, 2025
Accepted: January 4, 2026
Published online: April 15, 2026
Processing time: 157 Days and 3.8 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Incomplete radiofrequency ablation (iRFA) creates a hypoxic microenvironment that drives recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma. This study reveals that microRNA-206 (miR-206) directly targets hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and suppresses 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3-mediated glycolysis, thereby reducing angiogenesis, migration, and metastasis after iRFA. Using patient samples, endothelial cell models, and a rabbit VX2 tumor model, we demonstrate that restoring miR-206 expression counteracts post-ablation metabolic reprogramming. These findings highlight miR-206 as a promising therapeutic target to prevent recurrence and improve long-term outcomes after local ablation therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma.