Salsalate improves the anti-tumor efficacy of lenvatinib in MASH-driven hepatocellular carcinoma.

ABSTRACT:

Background & aims

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a growing cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. The complex microenvironment of these tumors, characterized by metabolic dysfunction, hypoxia, steatosis, and fibrosis, limits the effectiveness of standard-of-care therapies, such as the multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor lenvatinib (LEN). Salsalate (SAL), is a rheumatoid arthritis therapy that enhances fatty acid oxidation and reduces de novo lipogenesis, fibrosis and cell proliferation pathways. We hypothesize that addition of SAL could improve the efficacy of LEN in MASH-HCC.

Methods

We assessed the efficacy of combination therapy using clinically relevant concentrations of LEN and SAL in human HCC cell models, orthotopic xenograft

SUBMITTER: Tsakiridis EE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12018114 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature