Role of gliflozins on hepatocellular carcinoma progression: a systematic synthesis of preclinical and clinical evidence

Introduction: The risk of HCC is twice as high in diabetic patients compared to non-diabetic ones, suggesting that diabetes advances carcinogenesis in the liver through a variety of mechanisms. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have been shown to improve liver outcomes, emerging as promising agents to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: We searched PubMed and Scopus databases for articles presenting an association between SGLT2is and HCC to explore the putative mechanisms of action underlying the anti-proliferative activity of SGLT2is.

Results: A total of 24 articles were selected for inclusion, of which 14 were preclinical and 10 were clinical. Preclinical studies were mainly focused on canagliflozin, used alone or in combination with other drugs.

Conclusions: Overall, canagliflozin had a negative effect on HCC cell proliferation by interfering with glucose-dependent and independent metabolic pathways, negatively impacting angiogenesis, and inducing apoptosis in in-vitro cell models. In-vivo, a protective effect on hepatic steatosis and fibrosis and HCC development has been reported. Human studies showed a lower risk of developing HCC in patients on SGLT2is. However, this is supported by retrospective cohort studies. Clinical trials are needed to confirm the causal relationship between SGLT2i administration and HCC development.