Traditional Chinese Medicine for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment Based on NF-κB Signaling Pathway： A Review
10.13422/j.cnki.syfjx.20251224
- VernacularTitle:基于NF-κB信号通路探讨中医药治疗肝细胞癌的研究进展
- Author:
Ren YANG
1
;
Mengge LI
2
;
Zhibo DANG
2
;
Biaobiao GUO
1
;
Shilong LIU
1
;
Zhongqin DANG
2
Author Information
1. Henan University of Chinese Medicine，Zhengzhou 450046，China
2. Henan Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine，Zhengzhou 450002，China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
nuclear factor-kappa B;
signaling pathway;
hepatocellular carcinoma;
traditional Chinese medicine;
research progress
- From:
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae
2026;32(6):327-335
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）， the predominant subtype of primary liver cancer， ranks among the top in both incidence and mortality rates of malignant tumors in China. In its early stages， the disease may present with subtle or nonspecific symptoms， often leading to poor clinical prognosis and low patient survival rates， which makes it a significant public health concern. The pathogenesis is associated with multiple factors， including hepatitis virus infection， alcohol consumption， obesity， drug-induced liver injury， and immune disorders， which may interact synergistically to promote disease development. Currently， mainstream therapeutic approaches for HCC in modern medicine encompass surgical resection， liver transplantation， radiofrequency ablation， radiotherapy， and chemotherapy， but they all have certain limitations， such as large side effects and poor prognosis， imposing substantial psychological distress and financial strain on affected individuals. With a rich historical background in hepatic malignancy management， traditional Chinese medicine offers therapeutic benefits characterized by multi-targeted mechanisms， multi-level regulation， minimal adverse effects， and reduced likelihood of disease recurrence. It can not only enhance the curative effect， but also reduce the side effects of radiotherapy， chemotherapy， and surgery. Thus， it has attracted widespread attention. Extensive research has demonstrated that traditional Chinese medicine exhibits significant antitumor properties， along with notable anti-inflammatory and oxidative stress-reducing capabilities， and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-κB） signaling pathway， which can affect multiple stages of hepatocarcinogenesis， such as cell proliferation， invasion， metastasis， and apoptosis. The mechanism of NF-κB signaling pathway in traditional Chinese medicine for HCC treatment has emerged as one of the pivotal research directions in current oncology studies. Based on the existing research foundation， a systematic literature review method was adopted to retrieve and analyze relevant Chinese and English literature in recent years. Integrating the molecular regulatory mechanisms of the NF-κB signaling pathway and its pivotal role in HCC pathogenesis and progression helped further explore the latest research advances in traditional Chinese medicine interventions targeting this pathway for HCC treatment. This approach may provide novel theoretical foundations and translational strategies for the prevention and management of HCC using traditional Chinese medicine.
