A new study published in Science China Life Sciences shows that inhibition of Aurora kinases can promote the differentiation of liver cancer cells.

The research was conducted by scientists from Peking University, the Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, and other institutions.

Liver cancer remains challenging to treat due to its genetic complexity and the absence of well-defined therapeutic targets.

In this study, the researchers found that treatment with Aurora kinase inhibitors, including Alisertib and ENMD-2076, not only suppressed cell proliferation but also induced phenotypic changes resembling those of normal liver cells.

The treated cells exhibited elevated expression of key hepatic genes and reduced levels of markers associated with malignancy.

Notably, these differentiation effects persisted even after drug withdrawal for several days.

The findings suggest that Aurora kinase inhibitors exert their effects through a dual mechanism—halting cell division and promoting cellular differentiation.

The authors propose that this strategy may offer a promising direction for future liver cancer therapies.

Source: Science China Press