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Updated: May 14, 2026

Mouse Model of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease with Fibrosis
Published on: July 18, 2025
Lysophosphatidic acid aberrancies and hepatocellular carcinoma: studies in the MDR2 gene knockout mouse
Nicholas Skill1, Jianmin Wu, Yan Xu
1Department of Surgery, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA. nskill@iupui.edu
Abstract:
Studies show that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) reprogramming is associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This manuscript evaluates the MDR2(-/-) model of HCC as a tool to examine the role of LPA reprogramming in the initiation/progression of HCC and identify novel treatment targets. Hepatic tumors developed in MDR2(-/-) mice between 9-12 m and serum LPA levels were greater in MDR2(-/-) when compared to controls. Blocking LPA biosynthesis/signaling significantly reduced tumor burden. LPA biosynthesis/signaling plays an important role in murine MDR2(-/-) model and is potentially linked to regulation of TNFα or other cytokines that are relevant to high-risk patients.
