Big lessons from the little Akkermansia muciniphila in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequently occurring type of liver tumor and is considered one of the most common primary malignant neoplasms. The prognosis for HCC is dismal because of its complicated etiology and high level of medication resistance. Immunotherapy is presently regarded a...

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Main Authors: Yanguang Yang, Xinli Shi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-02-01
Series:Frontiers in Immunology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1524563/full
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author Yanguang Yang
Yanguang Yang
Xinli Shi
Xinli Shi
author_facet Yanguang Yang
Yanguang Yang
Xinli Shi
Xinli Shi
author_sort Yanguang Yang
collection DOAJ
description Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequently occurring type of liver tumor and is considered one of the most common primary malignant neoplasms. The prognosis for HCC is dismal because of its complicated etiology and high level of medication resistance. Immunotherapy is presently regarded as one of the most effective therapeutic options for HCC; nevertheless, because of the disturbance of intestinal flora, immunotherapy shows low antitumor efficacy. An increasing body of research indicates that intestinal flora, particularly Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila), is vital for the treatment of tumors. Studies have demonstrated that the diminished effectiveness of immunotherapy in cancer patients is associated with a reduction in A. muciniphila levels, suggesting that increasing A. muciniphila levels significantly enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy. A. muciniphila functions as a gut probiotic and can treat and prevent a wide range of illnesses, including cancer. Consequently, preserving A. muciniphila abundance is enough to prevent and lower the danger of developing cancer disorders. In this review, we critically evaluate the current body of research on A. muciniphila, with a primary focus on its biological properties and functions. The different illnesses that A. muciniphila treats were then discussed, particularly the way it works with liver cancer. This review aims to give a novel treatment plan for patients with HCC as well as a theoretical foundation for improving HCC immunotherapy.
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spelling doaj-art-4f3a98b148ac4bfa81cfd5463735b0a82025-08-20T03:11:33ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242025-02-011610.3389/fimmu.2025.15245631524563Big lessons from the little Akkermansia muciniphila in hepatocellular carcinomaYanguang Yang0Yanguang Yang1Xinli Shi2Xinli Shi3Laboratory of Integrated Medicine Tumor Immunology, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan, ChinaDepartment of Pathobiology and Immunology, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, ChinaLaboratory of Integrated Medicine Tumor Immunology, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan, ChinaDepartment of Pathobiology and Immunology, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, ChinaHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequently occurring type of liver tumor and is considered one of the most common primary malignant neoplasms. The prognosis for HCC is dismal because of its complicated etiology and high level of medication resistance. Immunotherapy is presently regarded as one of the most effective therapeutic options for HCC; nevertheless, because of the disturbance of intestinal flora, immunotherapy shows low antitumor efficacy. An increasing body of research indicates that intestinal flora, particularly Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila), is vital for the treatment of tumors. Studies have demonstrated that the diminished effectiveness of immunotherapy in cancer patients is associated with a reduction in A. muciniphila levels, suggesting that increasing A. muciniphila levels significantly enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy. A. muciniphila functions as a gut probiotic and can treat and prevent a wide range of illnesses, including cancer. Consequently, preserving A. muciniphila abundance is enough to prevent and lower the danger of developing cancer disorders. In this review, we critically evaluate the current body of research on A. muciniphila, with a primary focus on its biological properties and functions. The different illnesses that A. muciniphila treats were then discussed, particularly the way it works with liver cancer. This review aims to give a novel treatment plan for patients with HCC as well as a theoretical foundation for improving HCC immunotherapy.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1524563/fullhepatocellular carcinomaAkkermansia muciniphilaimmunotherapytraditional Chinese medicineintestinal flora
spellingShingle Yanguang Yang
Yanguang Yang
Xinli Shi
Xinli Shi
Big lessons from the little Akkermansia muciniphila in hepatocellular carcinoma
Frontiers in Immunology
hepatocellular carcinoma
Akkermansia muciniphila
immunotherapy
traditional Chinese medicine
intestinal flora
title Big lessons from the little Akkermansia muciniphila in hepatocellular carcinoma
title_full Big lessons from the little Akkermansia muciniphila in hepatocellular carcinoma
title_fullStr Big lessons from the little Akkermansia muciniphila in hepatocellular carcinoma
title_full_unstemmed Big lessons from the little Akkermansia muciniphila in hepatocellular carcinoma
title_short Big lessons from the little Akkermansia muciniphila in hepatocellular carcinoma
title_sort big lessons from the little akkermansia muciniphila in hepatocellular carcinoma
topic hepatocellular carcinoma
Akkermansia muciniphila
immunotherapy
traditional Chinese medicine
intestinal flora
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1524563/full
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