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ISSN 1001-5256 (Print)
ISSN 2097-3497 (Online)
CN 22-1108/R
Volume 41 Issue 9
Sep.  2025
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Article Contents

The role of gut microbiota homeostasis in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma and targeted intervention strategies

DOI: 10.12449/JCH250930
Research funding:

National Natural Science Foundation of China (82174330);

National Natural Science Foundation of China (82374418);

Shaanxi Province Science and Technology Department Research Fund (2024JC-YBMS-650);

Shaanxi Province Science and Technology Department Research Fund (2024SF-YBXM-528);

Shaanxi Province Science and Technology Department Innovation Team (2022TD-55);

Shaanxi Province Traditional Chinese Medicine Administration (SZY-KJCYC-2023-049);

Shaanxi Province Traditional Chinese Medicine Administration (SZY-KJCYC-2023-087);

Shaanxi Province Traditional Chinese Medicine Administration “Dual Chain Integration” Innovation Team (2022-SLRH-LJ-002)

More Information
  • Corresponding author: LI Jingtao, lijingtao555@163.com (ORCID: 0000-0002-9286-2542)
  • Received Date: 2025-01-17
  • Accepted Date: 2025-03-14
  • Published Date: 2025-09-25
  • Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as the sixth most common malignant tumor worldwide, poses a serious threat to human health due to its insidious onset and high mortality rate. This article reviews the molecular mechanisms and intervention strategies of gut microbiota (GM) homeostasis in the development and progression of HCC, in order to provide new ideas for the intervention and treatment of HCC. Studies have shown that GM dysbiosis, intestinal leakage, microbial-associated molecular pattern, bacterial translocation, and metabolic products play key roles in the progression of HCC. GM imbalance may lead to immune escape, thereby promoting tumor cell proliferation and metastasis. This article elaborates on the association between GM and HCC, deeply analyzes the mechanism of action of GM in the development and progression of HCC, investigates the role of bile acid-related metabolites, short-chain fatty acid-related metabolites, and other metabolites in HCC, and explores the strategies for targeting GM in the treatment of HCC, including probiotics, prebiotics, antibiotics, Toll-like receptor 4 antagonists, and fecal microbiota transplantation. This article emphasizes that maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier and GM homeostasis is of great significance in the prevention and treatment of HCC, which provides a direction for developing new diagnosis and treatment strategies.

     

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