Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 17, 2025

A Three-Dimensional Spheroid Model to Investigate the Tumor-Stromal Interaction in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Published on: September 30, 2021
Basal metabolic rate shapes the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma
Sebastian Maciak1, Diana Sawicka2, Irena Kasacka3
1Department of Evolutionary and Physiological Ecology, University of Bialystok, K. Ciolkowskiego 1J, Bialystok, 15-245, Poland. maciaks@uwb.edu.pl.
Background:
Among several cancer risk factors, the variation in basal metabolism rate (BMR), which constitutes up to 70% of total energy expenditures in humans, may be causally linked with neoplasm development. As BMR reflects the mass of metabolically active organs, being the function of cell size and/or cell number, it may serve as a critical metabolic proxy of cancer susceptibility in the context of cell growth and cell size.
Methods:
We examined the progression and rate of development of chemically induced hepatocellular carcinoma, using lines of mice divergently selected for high or low BMR and differing with respect to both the size of metabolically active organs and their cellular architecture.
Results:
The high BMR mouse line developed hepatocellular carcinoma much faster and with a higher progression rate, accompanied by a considerable increase in liver size and hepatocyte enlargement, as compared to the low BMR mouse line. The HBMR mice also manifested an increased expression of metabolism- and cell size-related genes (mTOR, PI3K, c-myc, but not IGF-1), with a simultaneous decrease in the activity of tumor suppressors (p-53, APC) at the beginning of cancerogenic processes, promoting further neoplasm expansion. CONCLUSION: Presented results suggest that genetically determined high BMR may additionally burden liver cells via changes in the action of specific genes, leading to higher tumorigenesis.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Liver Regeneration
Cells of Liver
The liver comprises four major types of cells— hepatocytes, stellate, Kupffer, and sinusoidal endothelial cells. The hepatocytes are...
Tumor Progression
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Metabolic Rate
The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) measures the energy expended at rest.
Several factors influence...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Cell Specific Gene Expression

