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Nutrients
Volume 18
Issue 12
10.3390/nu18121911
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Review

Diet–Microbiota–Immune Interactions in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Immunometabolic and Spatial Perspective

by
Asmaa E. Salem
1,*,
Nourhan Nassar
2,
Shimaa M. Emam
3,
Shaimaa H. Negm
4,
Wamidh H. Talib
5 and
Bence Raposa
6,*
1
Institute of Emergency Care, Pedagogy of Health and Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pécs, 7621 Pécs, Hungary
2
Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Moshtohor 13736, Egypt
3
Department of Food Hygiene, Safety and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, New Valley University, El-Kharga 72511, Egypt
4
Home Economics Department, Faculty of Specific Education, Port Said University, Port Said 42512, Egypt
5
Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Applied Science Private University, Amman 11937, Jordan
6
Institute of Basics of Health Sciences, Midwifery and Health Visiting, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pécs, 7621 Pécs, Hungary
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nutrients 2026, 18(12), 1911; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18121911 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 1 April 2026 / Revised: 29 May 2026 / Accepted: 9 June 2026 / Published: 12 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Section Nutritional Immunology)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent type of primary liver cancer and one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality globally, with its incidence increasingly driven not only by viral hepatitis and alcohol-related etiologies but also by metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Dietary intake can modify gut microbial activity and the production of microbial metabolites, which in turn may regulate hepatic immune signaling and metabolic pathways along the gut–liver axis. Microbiota-derived metabolites have emerged as important immunometabolic mediators linking dietary factors to hepatic immune responses and metabolic reprogramming. These metabolites, which have been shown to influence hepatic immune cell function and inflammatory signaling, include short-chain fatty acids, secondary bile acids, and tryptophan-derived indoles. Changes in the production and composition of these metabolites have been associated with immune dysregulation, chronic inflammation, and metabolic reprogramming that promote hepatocellular carcinoma development. This review highlights how diet–microbiota interactions reshape hepatic immunometabolism and discusses their potential translational relevance for prevention and therapeutic strategies in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma; gut microbiota; microbial metabolites; immunometabolism; gut–liver axis hepatocellular carcinoma; gut microbiota; microbial metabolites; immunometabolism; gut–liver axis

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MDPI and ACS Style

Salem, A.E.; Nassar, N.; Emam, S.M.; Negm, S.H.; Talib, W.H.; Raposa, B. Diet–Microbiota–Immune Interactions in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Immunometabolic and Spatial Perspective. Nutrients 2026, 18, 1911. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18121911

AMA Style

Salem AE, Nassar N, Emam SM, Negm SH, Talib WH, Raposa B. Diet–Microbiota–Immune Interactions in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Immunometabolic and Spatial Perspective. Nutrients. 2026; 18(12):1911. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18121911

Chicago/Turabian Style

Salem, Asmaa E., Nourhan Nassar, Shimaa M. Emam, Shaimaa H. Negm, Wamidh H. Talib, and Bence Raposa. 2026. "Diet–Microbiota–Immune Interactions in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Immunometabolic and Spatial Perspective" Nutrients 18, no. 12: 1911. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18121911

APA Style

Salem, A. E., Nassar, N., Emam, S. M., Negm, S. H., Talib, W. H., & Raposa, B. (2026). Diet–Microbiota–Immune Interactions in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Immunometabolic and Spatial Perspective. Nutrients, 18(12), 1911. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18121911

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