Deciphering the role of Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) polymorphisms in hepatocellular carcinoma: A narrative review
Year: 2026
Type: review
Abstract: The liver cancer especially the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant health burden worldwide as it is a disease with high incidence, late diagnosis, and poor prognosis. Hepatitis B and C infection, cirrhosis, and metabolic disorders are chronic liver diseases that play a major role in the development of HCC. Recent developments in the field of molecular biology have emphasized the significance of genetic and epigenetic changes in the pathogenesis of HCC. These include Krüppel-like factors (KLFs), a family of zinc finger transcription factors that have been found to be important regulators of cellular processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, and metabolism. This review is conferred to KLF polymorphisms, especially KLF6 and KLF15, and their role in the molecular pathogenesis of liver cancer. It has been indicated that KLF expression and activity changes aid tumour initiation, progression, and metastasis by affecting key signalling pathways including Wnt/ 2 -catenin, TERT, and TP53. KLF polymorphisms can disrupt the regulatory functions of KLF leading to enhanced growth, reduction in death and metastasis. In addition, these genetic mutations have potential applications as early diagnostic, prognostic, and risk markers for HCC. The study also reviews therapeutic strategies targeting the KLF pathway using approaches such as gene therapy, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, and drug targeting. While the findings are encouraging, there are some remaining issues, including conflicting study findings, lack of functional analyses, and genetic diversity. In general, knowledge of the role of KLF polymorphisms can offer useful information on the biology of liver cancer and some new opportunities in the field of personalized diagnosis and targeted treatment, which may lead to better clinical outcomes in patients with HCC.
Source: NUST Journal of Natural Sciences
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7223271816