P53/NANOG balance; the leading switch between poorly to well differentiated status in liver cancer cells

The review discusses the role of the p53/NANOG balance in determining the differentiation status of liver cancer cells. Activation of the tumor suppressor p53 is identified as an important factor in apoptosis induction and maintenance of a well-differentiated cellular state, whereas higher NANOG expression is associated with poorly differentiated status. Inducing NANOG expression while reducing p53 levels can switch liver cancer cells from a well-differentiated to a poorly differentiated state. The review highlights the cross-talk between p53 and NANOG in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), regulated through mitophagy, and presents this pathway as a potential molecular target for attenuating the cancerous phenotype and managing HCC.