SAN DIEGO — Scientists at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have uncovered a key mechanism explaining how liver cancer manages to develop despite the body’s natural defenses against tumor formation. The finding is particularly urgent given that liver cancer stands as the sixth most frequently diagnosed cancer and fourth leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, with cases rising 25-30% in the past two decades.
Many people don’t realize that our bodies have built-in safeguards against cancer development. One such defense is cellular senescence, a state where damaged cells permanently stop dividing to prevent them from becoming cancerous. This is particularly relevant for understanding liver cancer, which often develops in people with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a severe form of fatty liver disease that significantly increases liver cancer risk.
Previously known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. MASH occurs when excess fat accumulation leads to liver inflammation and damage. Currently, fatty liver disease affects 25% of adult Americans, with about 20% of those individuals having MASH,