New use of an old drug: mechanism of oseltamivir phosphate inhibiting liver cancer through regulation of lipophagy via NEU1

Neuraminidase-1 (NEU1) is an enzyme that breaks down sialic acids on glycoproteins and glycolipids. Aberrant expression of NEU1 has been linked to the progression of numerous malignancies, including liver cancer. Oseltamivir phosphate (OP) is a drug used to treat and prevent influenza, which specifically inhibits NEU1. However, the molecular mechanisms of NEU1 in liver cancer and the potential therapeutic effects of OP remain largely unclear.NEU1 expression in liver cancer was evaluated using public databases and validated in our samples. CRISPR/Cas9, CCK-8 assay, transwell assays, oil red O staining, RNA-sequencing, immunofluorescence and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and in vivo experiments were used to investigate the biological function of NEU1 and the therapeutic effect of OP in liver cancer.