TIFA suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression via MALT1-dependent and -independent signaling pathways

Research elucidating how a protein suppresses the progression of liver cancer could provide new therapeutic targets, say researchers in China. A team led by Rong Xiang and Na Luo at Nankai University examined liver biopsies of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the third most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. They also grafted HCC cells under the skin of mice. They found that a protein, called TIFA, suppresses the progression of HCC via one of three pathways. One involves competition with another protein, MALT1, to bind with the protein TRAF6, signaling pathways that induce cancer cell death. TIFA-induced cell death also results from suppressing MALT1. Finally, TIFA expression can also activate two genes, JNK and p38, which signal cell death and cell cycle arrest, respectively. The research may provide insights into drug targets that could affect HCC progression.