Keratin 18-deficiency results in steatohepatitis and liver tumors in old mice: A model of steatohepatitis-associated liver carcinogenesis

Abstract

Our findings show that K18 deficiency of hepatocytes leads to steatosis, increasing with age, and finally to SH. K18 deficiency and age promote liver tumor development in mice, frequently on the basis of chromosomal instability, resembling human HCC with stemness features.