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Updated: Sep 17, 2025

Screening Traditional Chinese Medicine Compounds for Inhibiting UCHL3 Activity Based on Molecular Docking and Deubiquitinating Enzyme Probe Technology
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Screening Traditional Chinese Medicine Compounds for Inhibiting UCHL3 Activity Based on Molecular Docking and Deubiquitinating Enzyme Probe Technology

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Deubiquitylating Enzymes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Xingyu Mi1, Qingfeng Li2, Guo Long1

  • 1Department of Liver Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha, Hunan 410078, China.

International Journal of Biological Sciences
|July 3, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) regulate ubiquitination. Dysregulated DUBs are linked to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a deadly liver cancer, highlighting their potential as therapeutic targets.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • Oncology
  • Cellular Regulation

Background:

  • Ubiquitination, a critical cellular process, is tightly controlled by enzymes including deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs).
  • The dysregulation of DUBs disrupts ubiquitination homeostasis, contributing to various diseases, notably cancer.
  • Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive liver cancer with limited therapeutic options, underscoring the need for novel treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and summarize the deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) implicated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  • To elucidate the structures, functions, and regulatory mechanisms of DUBs in HCC development.
  • To provide insights into potential therapeutic strategies targeting DUBs in HCC.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing studies on DUBs and their roles in HCC.
  • Analysis of DUB structures and functions relevant to cancer biology.
  • Synthesis of current knowledge on DUBs' mechanisms in HCC pathogenesis.

Main Results:

  • Numerous DUBs have been identified as dysregulated in various tumor types, including HCC.
  • Specific DUBs play crucial roles in regulating HCC cell proliferation, survival, and metastasis.
  • The precise mechanisms by which many DUBs influence HCC remain incompletely understood.

Conclusions:

  • DUBs represent a promising class of therapeutic targets for hepatocellular carcinoma.
  • Further research into the specific roles and mechanisms of DUBs in HCC is warranted.
  • Understanding DUBs offers new avenues for developing innovative HCC treatments.
Keywords:
deubiquitylating enzymeshepatocellular carcinoma

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