RIPK1 and allies in the battle against hepatocyte apoptosis and liver cancer

Liver cancer constitutes the third most frequent cause for cancer-related deaths worldwide. It typically appears in individuals with underlying liver diseases, which most commonly develop in the context of chronic infections with hepatitis viruses, alcoholic and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or aflatoxin-mediated toxicity (1,2). Continuous death of hepatocytes is a central event in these liver pathologies and leads to a regenerative response characterized by hepatocyte proliferation, inflammation, steatosis and fibrosis that can progress to cirrhosis. This setting becomes a predisposing factor for the development of hepatocellular cancer (HCC), the most frequent form of primary liver cancer (3,4). Understanding the molecular mechanisms governing hepatocellular death is therefore crucial for designing preventive therapies.