Uncovering a key signaling pathway linking liver cancer and fibrosis

New molecular insights into the link between hepatocellular carcinoma and intratumoral fibrosis could lead to better treatment strategies, report researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo. Through a comprehensive analysis involving clinical data and in vitro and in vivo experiments, they revealed that the SPP1–CD44–Hedgehog signaling pathway is a key driver of fibrosis in liver tumors, hinting at its potential as a therapeutic target.