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Mechanism and Treatment Progress of Liver Disease
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Mechanism and Treatment Progress of Liver Disease

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 October 2025 | Viewed by 1714

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Yohei Shirakami

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Gastroenterology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan
Interests: liver disease; retinoid; cancer prevention; colorectal cancer; gastroenterological disease; cholangiocarcinoma
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The mechanisms of liver diseases, including viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, and liver cancer have been elucidated, and the treatments for various liver diseases have made considerable progress. However, researchers are still attempting to clarify pathological conditions and to develop treatment methods for several types of liver diseases, such as chronic hepatitis B virus infection and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). In addition, the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma remains poor, although various therapeutic agents have been introduced into clinical practice in recent years. Moreover, increasing interest has been paid to skeletal muscle atrophy (sarcopenia) and the gut–liver axis due to their possible association with the pathogenesis of liver diseases. This Special Issue explores the advances in the elucidation of pathological conditions and the progress and future of treatment for liver diseases. We welcome a wide range of papers on basic and clinical research and review articles and are looking forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Yohei Shirakami
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • liver diseases
  • MASLD
  • alcoholic liver disease
  • liver cancer
  • viral hepatitis
  • sarcopenia

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 781 KiB  
Article
Metabolic Characteristics and Cytokine Gene Polymorphisms as Potential Risk Factors for a Higher Liver Fibrosis Stage in MASLD Patients: A Hospital-Based Study
by Mihaela Iancu, Sorina-Cezara Coste, Angela Cozma, Olga Hilda Orășan, Roxana Liana Lucaciu, Adriana Corina Hangan, Ioana Para, Sidonia Gog Bogdan and Lucia-Maria Procopciuc
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(8), 3730; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26083730 - 15 Apr 2025
Viewed by 334
Abstract
Polymorphisms in the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and IL-17 cytokine genes play a role in liver fibrosis progression among patients with MASLD. The current study aimed to investigate whether the IL17 (A7448G and G197A) and TLR4 (Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile) [...] Read more.
Polymorphisms in the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and IL-17 cytokine genes play a role in liver fibrosis progression among patients with MASLD. The current study aimed to investigate whether the IL17 (A7448G and G197A) and TLR4 (Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile) gene polymorphisms are associated with increased liver fibrosis stages in MASLD patients. Genotyping for the IL17F-A7488G, IL17A-G197A, TLR4-Asp299Gly, and TLR4-Thr399Ile polymorphisms was performed on a sample of 42 MASLD patients and 39 healthy controls. Serum levels of IL17F, IL17A, and TLR4 were measured using ELISA techniques. Bivariate analysis revealed significant associations between glycemic levels (p = 0.006), lipid metabolism (total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides), and the severity of liver fibrosis (p < 0.05). The IL17A-G197A GA and AA genotypes were more frequent in patients with advanced liver fibrosis compared to those without fibrosis (GA genotype frequency: 42.9% vs. 7.7%; AA genotype frequency: 14.3% vs. 5.1%; adjusted p = 0.0423). In the multivariable ordinal logistic regression, the IL17A-G197A polymorphism remained significantly associated with higher liver fibrosis stages (adjusted p = 0.0155). Patients with the dominant genotype (GA + AA) of the IL17A-G197A polymorphism exhibited 3.91 times greater odds of experiencing at least a one-stage increase in liver fibrosis compared to those with the GG genotype (adjusted OR = 3.91, 95% CI: 1.33–12.34). This study indicates that IL17-related genetic polymorphisms and metabolic characteristics significantly affect liver fibrosis progression in MASLD patients, with the IL17A-G197A gene polymorphism identified as an independent multivariate predictor of fibrosis progression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanism and Treatment Progress of Liver Disease)
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17 pages, 5855 KiB  
Article
Dual Roles of Canagliflozin on Cholangiocarcinoma Cell Growth and Enhanced Growth Suppression in Combination with FK866
by Daisuke Taguchi, Yohei Shirakami, Hiroyasu Sakai, Daisuke Minowa, Takao Miwa, Toshihide Maeda, Masaya Kubota, Kenji Imai, Takashi Ibuka and Masahito Shimizu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(3), 978; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26030978 - 24 Jan 2025
Viewed by 945
Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma-associated mortality has been increasing over the past decade. The sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, canagliflozin, has demonstrated anti-tumor effects against several types of cancers; however, studies examining its potential impact on cholangiocarcinoma are lacking. This study investigated the anti-tumor effects of canagliflozin on [...] Read more.
Cholangiocarcinoma-associated mortality has been increasing over the past decade. The sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, canagliflozin, has demonstrated anti-tumor effects against several types of cancers; however, studies examining its potential impact on cholangiocarcinoma are lacking. This study investigated the anti-tumor effects of canagliflozin on cholangiocarcinoma and the effects of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)+ salvage pathway activation and sirtuin 1 on tumor growth. We evaluated cell proliferation and gene expression in several cholangiocarcinoma cell lines and analyzed the effects of canagliflozin on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. Canagliflozin treatment decreased the viability of cholangiocarcinoma cells in a concentration-dependent manner but increased the viability at low concentrations in several cell lines. At high concentrations, canagliflozin arrested the cell cycle checkpoint in the G0/G1 phase. In contrast, at low concentrations, it increased the proportion of cells in the S phase. Canagliflozin also reduced the migratory ability of cholangiocarcinoma cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Canagliflozin treatment upregulated nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), NAD+, and sirtuin 1 in cholangiocarcinoma and activated the NAD+ salvage pathway. The growth-inhibitory effect of canagliflozin was enhanced when combined with an NAMPT inhibitor. Canagliflozin inhibits cholangiocarcinoma cell growth and migration and its anti-tumor effect is enhanced when combined with an NAMPT inhibitor. However, further investigation is required because of its potential tumor growth-promoting effect through the activation of the NAD+ salvage pathway. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanism and Treatment Progress of Liver Disease)
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Review

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25 pages, 1365 KiB  
Review
Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors in Liver Cirrhosis: A Systematic Review of Their Role in Ascites Management, Slowing Disease Progression, and Safety
by Sudheer Dhoop, Sami Ghazaleh, Luke Roberts, Mohammed Shehada, Manthanbhai Patel, Wade-Lee Smith, Sana Rabeeah, Bisher Sawaf, Priya Vadehra, Benjamin Hart and Mona Hassan
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(10), 4781; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26104781 - 16 May 2025
Viewed by 89
Abstract
Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2Is) are widely used for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), conferring cardiovascular and renal benefits with evidence supporting their role in metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the fastest rising etiology for liver cirrhosis. Our study collects and synthesizes all available [...] Read more.
Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2Is) are widely used for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), conferring cardiovascular and renal benefits with evidence supporting their role in metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the fastest rising etiology for liver cirrhosis. Our study collects and synthesizes all available data on SGLT2I use in liver cirrhosis to summarize their potential benefits and risks. We systematically reviewed the literature on SGLT2I use in adults with cirrhosis, focusing on 6 outcome domains, including ascites reduction, disease progression, hemodynamics, acute kidney injury (AKI), electrolyte abnormalities, and infection risk. We identified 16 studies: compensated (n = 5), decompensated (n = 3), and refractory ascites (n = 8). All studies of decompensated cirrhosis (n = 11) reported ascites reduction. Most studies (7 of 9) indicated SGLT2Is slowed disease progression by reducing clinical decompensation (n = 4) or improving laboratory markers (n = 3). A minority of studies revealed safety concerns with 2 of 9 studies showing evidence of hemodynamic instability and acute kidney injury (AKI), 2 out of 10 for electrolyte abnormalities, and 2 out of 5 for infection risk. Current evidence strongly supports SGLT2Is for refractory ascites management and suggests potential benefits in slowing progression across cirrhosis severities. Longer-term prospective trials in patients with non-refractory decompensated cirrhosis and real-world safety data are essential to clarify and potentially expand the role of SGLT2Is in cirrhosis management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanism and Treatment Progress of Liver Disease)
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