Metabolomic liquid biopsy dynamics predict early-stage HCC and actionable candidates of human hepatocarcinogenesis.

ABSTRACT:

Background & aims

Actionable candidates of hepatocarcinogenesis remain elusive, and tools for early detection are suboptimal. Our aim was to demonstrate that serum metabolome profiles reflect the initiation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and enable the identification of biomarkers for early HCC detection and actionable candidates for chemoprevention.

Methods

This global cohort study included 654 patients and 801 biospecimens. Following serum metabolome profiling across the spectrum of hepatocarcinogenesis, we conducted a phase II biomarker case-control study for early HCC detection. Findings were independently validated through in silico analysis, mRNA sequencing, and proteome profiling of primary HCC and non-tumoral tissue, and in vitro experiments.

Resu

SUBMITTER: Schulze K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12023797 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature