Role of pyruvate kinase muscle isozyme 2 in pathogenesis and diagnosis of liver cancer

In recent years, studies have shown that the expression of pyruvate kinase muscle isozyme 2 (PKM2) is increased significantly in various tumor cells. PKM2 acts like a signal molecule in tumor cells and participates in the expression and regulation of genes related to tumor cell proliferation, cell autophagy, and cell cycle progression. This article summarizes the expression of PKM2 in liver cancer tissues and cell lines, elaborates on the role of PKM2 in the proliferation, differentiation, and metastasis of liver cancer cells and prognostic evaluation, and points out that PKM2 can be used in the clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic evaluation of liver cancer.