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Updated: Feb 20, 2026

A High-performance Liquid Chromatography Measurement of Kynurenine and Kynurenic Acid: Relating Biochemistry to Cognition and Sleep in Rats
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Taurine is a natural suppressor of urea cycle via targeting ASL

Keqiang Rao1,2, Ke Zheng3, Yunfan Sun4

  • 1Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Cell Death Discovery
|February 18, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Taurine suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) growth by inhibiting the urea cycle via the FOS-ASL pathway. This finding offers a novel therapeutic strategy for HCC, enhancing current treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Metabolic pathways
  • Nutritional science

Background:

  • Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality globally.
  • Optimized therapeutic strategies for HCC are urgently needed.
  • The role of taurine in HCC metabolism is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the metabolic effects of taurine on hepatocellular carcinoma.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which taurine influences HCC growth.

Main Methods:

  • Investigated taurine's effect on the urea cycle in HCC cell lines.
  • Identified argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) as a key target of taurine.
  • Examined the role of Fos proto-oncogene (FOS) as a transcription factor for ASL.

Main Results:

  • Taurine acts as a negative regulator of the urea cycle, suppressing HCC tumor growth.
  • ASL is identified as the primary target of taurine in repressing the urea cycle.
  • The FOS-ASL axis is crucial for taurine's metabolic effects and HCC tumor growth.
  • Taurine enhances the efficacy of GLS1 inhibitors in HCC management.

Conclusions:

  • Taurine inhibits HCC growth by targeting the urea cycle through the FOS-ASL pathway.
  • This study reveals a novel metabolic mechanism for taurine in controlling HCC.
  • Taurine presents a promising therapeutic agent for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment.

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