Adipocyte-derived FABP4 promotes metabolism-associated steatotic liver-induced hepatocellular carcinoma by driving ITGB1-mediated β-catenin activation.
Leung CON., Gurung S., Chung KPS., Leung RWH., Lei MML., Chan MSM.
Prospective Study, published in J Clin Invest (2025) — summary generated from the PubMed abstract.
Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.
- Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
- Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
- Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
- Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
- Emerging · Emerging topic under active research
This page is generated from the PubMed record. The Thai description is an automated summary of bibliographic fields and the abstract, not a full translation, and is not medical advice.
- Study type
- Prospective Study
- Journal
- J Clin Invest (2025)
- Country
- United States
- Reported sample size
- —
- Source database
- PubMed
- PMID
- 41392988
- DOI
- 10.1172/JCI182322
Abstract (original English)
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease-induced (MASLD-induced) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an emerging malignancy linked to excessive accumulation of adipose tissue and hepatic fat. Understanding the role of adipocytes in the development of MASLD-induced HCC is crucial. In an in vitro coculture system, differentiated adipocytes were found to enhance cancer stemness and drug resistance in HCC through paracrine signaling. Fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) was preferentially secreted by adipocytes, and recombinant FABP4 further augmented the cancer stem cell (CSC) properties of HCC cells. Notably, Fabp4-/- mice exhibited a marked delay in the progression of MASLD-HCC, which correlated with the increased HCC risk observed in MASLD patients with elevated FABP4 expression. Mass spectrometry analysis identified integrin β 1 (ITGB1) as a binding partner of FABP4. These data, together with a substantial downregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in Fabp4-/- mouse tumors, revealed that FABP4 augmented liver CSC functions by activating PI3K/AKT/β-catenin signaling via ITGB1. We developed an anti-FABP4 neutralizing antibody that successfully inhibited FABP4-driven CSC functions and suppressed MASLD-induced HCC. In conclusion, our findings indicate that adipocyte-derived FABP4 plays a critical role in the development of MASLD-induced HCC and targeting the ITGB1/P
What this study does not prove
- • This study does not prove SVF is an approved treatment or a replacement for standard care.
Evidence level
Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.
How we grade evidenceBrowse all related research
Filter the research library by this study's title keywords, author, or publication year.