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Exploring the Complex Interplay Between Metabolic Diseases, MASLD, and Liver Cancer

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 1061

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Daniela Gabbia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, L. go Meneghetti 2, 35131 Padova, Italy
Interests: chronic liver disease; hepatocellular carcinoma; liver metabolism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sara De Martin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, L.go Meneghetti 2, 35131 Padova, Italy
Interests: pharmacology; pharmacokinetics; liver disease; drug–drug interactions; drug-induced liver injury; HCC
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to collect research devoted to unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying the intricate relationship between metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD), metabolic disorders, and liver cancer, mainly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MASLD has emerged as a critical precursor of more severe liver conditions, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and HCC. The interplay between MASLD and metabolic disorders, such as obesity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia, significantly exacerbates the risk of HCC development.

This Special Issue aims to expand the comprehension of the roles of metabolic dysfunction, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and genetic predispositions in the onset of MASLD and in triggering hepatic carcinogenesis. Additionally, the impact of dietary habits and environmental exposures on disease progression will be thoroughly examined.

Moreover, this Special Issue seeks to include studies investigating the molecular mechanisms that may be involved in the progression of MASLD to MASH and liver cancer and suggesting novel biomarkers for the early detection, risk stratification, and personalized intervention strategies for MASLD patients with metabolic comorbidities to mitigate HCC risk. Furthermore, comprehensive reviews, original research articles, and expert perspectives on studies on novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets to enhance disease surveillance and management are also welcomed.

Dr. Daniela Gabbia
Dr. Sara De Martin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hepatocellular carcinoma
  • MASLD
  • MASH
  • obesity
  • insulin resistance
  • dyslipidemia
  • liver cancer

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 712 KiB  
Article
Polymorphism’s MBOAT7 as Risk and MTARC1 as Protection for Liver Fibrosis in MASLD
by Sofia Rocha, Claudia P. Oliveira, José Tadeu Stefano, Roberta P. Yokogawa, Michele Gomes-Gouvea, Patricia Momoyo Youshimura Zitelli, Joyce Matie Kinoshita Silva-Etto, Eduarda Donegá Martins, Mario G. Pessoa, Flavio F. Alcantara, Raymundo S. Azevedo and João Renato Rebello Pinho
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(13), 6406; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26136406 - 3 Jul 2025
Abstract
Previous large-scale genetic studies identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the membrane bound O-acyltransferase domain containing 7 (MBOAT7) and patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 3 (PNPLA3) genes as risk factors for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). However, this has not yet been investigated in [...] Read more.
Previous large-scale genetic studies identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the membrane bound O-acyltransferase domain containing 7 (MBOAT7) and patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 3 (PNPLA3) genes as risk factors for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). However, this has not yet been investigated in Brazilian patients. In this study, we evaluated the association between the PNPLA3 variant rs738409 and MBOAT7 variant rs641738 and the risk of hepatic fibrosis or liver cirrhosis in MASLD etiology. In parallel, we also aimed to evaluate a protective SNP of the mitochondrial amidoxime-reducing component 1 (MTARC1) gene. We also evaluated TM6SF2 rs58542926, GCKR rs1260326 and rs780094, and HSD17B13 rs72613567 and they were not associated with liver fibrosis. The study was conducted at the Department of Gastroenterology and Nutrology, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP), and included 113 patients with liver fibrosis (F0–F1), 99 patients with significant liver fibrosis (F2–F4), and 90 controls. SNPs were genotyped by quantitative PCR, using TaqMan allelic discrimination assays. Overall, the PNPLA3 GG genotype was more frequent in F2–F4 (23%) and F0–F1 (22%) patients than in controls (9%; p = 0.02). The MBOAT7 TT genotype was significantly associated with fibrosis, with a prevalence of 23% in F2–F4 patients versus 10% in F0–F1 and 11% in controls (p = 0.01). This association was confirmed by regression analysis (OR = 5.01 95% CI: 1.86–13.49; p = 1.41 × 10−3). The protective MTARC1 AA genotypes were more frequent in controls (52%) when compared to patients with fibrosis (5% p = 2.76 × 10−20). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring the Complex Interplay Between Metabolic Diseases, MASLD, and Liver Cancer)
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15 pages, 264 KiB  
Article
Endophenotype-Informed Association Analyses for Liver Fat Accumulation and Metabolic Dysfunction in the Fels Longitudinal Study
by Ariana L. Garza, John Blangero, Miryoung Lee, Cici X. Bauer, Stefan A. Czerwinski and Audrey C. Choh
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(10), 4812; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26104812 - 17 May 2025
Viewed by 348
Abstract
The identification of causal genomic regions for liver fat accumulation in the context of metabolic dysfunction remains a challenging goal. This study aimed to identify potential endophenotypes for liver fat content and employ them in bivariate linkage searches for pleiotropic genetic regions where [...] Read more.
The identification of causal genomic regions for liver fat accumulation in the context of metabolic dysfunction remains a challenging goal. This study aimed to identify potential endophenotypes for liver fat content and employ them in bivariate linkage searches for pleiotropic genetic regions where targeted association analysis is more likely to reveal significant variants. Multiple metabolic risk and adiposity distribution traits were assessed using the endophenotype ranking value. The top-ranked endophenotypes were then used in a bivariate linkage analysis, paired with liver fat content. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) identified as significant or suggestive were targeted for measured genotype association analyses. The highest-ranked endophenotypes for liver fat accumulation were insulin resistance (IR), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). The univariate linkage analysis for liver fat content identified one significant QTL at chromosome 17p13.2 (Logarithm of odds score (LOD) = 2.90, p = 1.29 × 10−4). The bivariate linkage analysis pairing liver fat with IR and VAT improved the localization of two suggestive QTLs at 13q21.31 (LOD = 2.11, p = 9.03 × 10−4), and 6q21 (LOD = 2.35, p = 5.07 × 10−4), respectively. Targeted association analyses within the -1-LOD score regions of these QTLs revealed 17 marginally significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with liver fat content or its combination with the selected endophenotypes. The endophenotype-informed linkage analysis successfully identified regions suitable for the targeted association analysis of liver fat content, either alone or in combination with IR or VAT, leading to the discovery of marginally significant variants with potential for future functional studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring the Complex Interplay Between Metabolic Diseases, MASLD, and Liver Cancer)
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