Abstract

Selected Probiotic Bacteria and Short Chain Fatty Acids Delay the Pathogenesis of Hepatitis B Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Author(s): Mark Feitelson

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is associated with the development of progression of chronic liver disease (CLD) and the appearance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC is a prevalent cancer worldwide with few treatment options. Most of the treatments available are for patients with advanced cancer, and the results have been very modest because these are the patients most difficult to treat. A different way of thinking involves recognizing and reducing the risk factors that contribute to the pathogenesis of HCC. Given that HCC develops decades after HBV infection, and appears most often on the background of chronic inflammation, experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that selected probiotic bacteria and bacterial metabolites that mediate immunomodulation, by suppressing inflammation, could be used as a simple, readily available, and inexpensive means to target CLD so as to prevent or delay the appearance of HCC.