A mixed blessing for liver transplantation patients - Rapamycin.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Liver transplantation (LT) is an effective treatment option for end-stage liver disease. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors, such as rapamycin, are widely used post LT.

DATA SOURCES:

In this review, we focused on the anti-cancer activities and metabolic side effects of rapamycin after LT. The literature available on PubMed for the period of January 1999-September 2022 was reviewed. The key words were rapamycin, sirolimus, liver transplantation, hepatocellular carcinoma, diabetes, and lipid metabolism disorder.

RESULTS:

Rapamycin has shown excellent effects and is safer than other immunosuppressive regimens. It has exhibited excellent anti-cancer activity and has the potential in preventing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence post LT. Rapamycin is closely related to two long-term complications after LT, diabetes and lipid metabolism disorders.

CONCLUSIONS:

Rapamycin prevents HCC recurrence post LT in some patients, but it also induces metabolic disorders. Reasonable use of rapamycin benefits the liver recipients.

• Authors: Guang-Han Fan, Chen-Zhi Zhang, Feng-Qiang Gao, Xu-Yong Wei, Sun-Bin Ling, Kai Wang, Jian-Guo Wang, Shu-Sen Zheng, Mehrdad Nikfarjam, Xiao Xu
• Journal: Hepatobiliary & pancreatic diseases international : HBPD INT (Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int) Vol. 22 Issue 1 Pg. 14-21 (Feb 2023) ISSN: 1499-3872 [Print] Singapore
• PMID: 36328894 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2022 First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Sirolimus

Topics

• Humans
• Sirolimus (adverse effects)
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (drug therapy)
• Liver Transplantation (adverse effects)
• Liver Neoplasms (drug therapy)
• Neoplasm Recurrence, Local (drug therapy)