Whole transcriptome sequencing for the transition from non-alcoholic steatohepatitis to hepatocellular carcinoma

The prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) caused by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is clearly on the rise. Globally, a quarter of the population has NAFLD, of whom around 20% harbor non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which can progress to cirrhosis and further HCC. NASH is the liver manifestation of metabolic syndrome and is associated with obesity, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. This study aims to discover the important genes during the transition from NASH to HCC by using whole transcriptome sequencing, and thereby explore the mechanism of the identified genes to develop efficient therapeutic strategies to prevent progression from NASH to HCC.