Caspase-2 deficiency drives pathogenic liver polyploidy and increases age-associated hepatocellular carcinoma in mice

Sci Adv. 2026 Jan 2;12(1):eaeb2571. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aeb2571. Epub 2026 Jan 1.

Abstract

Hepatocyte polyploidization promotes liver homeostasis by enhancing resistance to cellular stress. Caspase-2, a proapoptotic protease, restricts polyploidization by deleting polyploid and aneuploid cells. While caspase-2 protects against diet-induced hepatic injury, it also acts as a tumor suppressor by controlling genomic instability and oxidative stress. To investigate these roles, we assessed hepatic ploidy dynamics, liver damage, and age-associated tumorigenesis in caspase-2-deficient and catalytically inactive mutant mice. We found that caspase-2 loss promotes early-onset hepatocyte hyperpolyploidy, accompanied by progressive liver inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative liver damage, ferroptosis, and higher incidence of spontaneous hepatocellular carcinoma in aged animals. Proteomic profiling revealed a pathogenic polyploidy-associated signature associated with caspase-2 deficiency and increased predisposition to liver disease and malignancy. These findings establish caspase-2 enzymatic activity as a critical regulator of hepatic genome stability and preventing age-related liver cancer that strongly argue against therapeutic caspase-2 inhibition as a strategy for managing liver injury or cancer risk.

MeSH terms

  • Aging* / genetics
  • Aging* / pathology
  • Animals
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* / etiology
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* / pathology
  • Caspase 2* / deficiency
  • Caspase 2* / genetics
  • Caspase 2* / metabolism
  • Genomic Instability
  • Hepatocytes / metabolism
  • Hepatocytes / pathology
  • Liver Neoplasms* / etiology
  • Liver Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Liver Neoplasms* / metabolism
  • Liver Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Liver* / metabolism
  • Liver* / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Polyploidy*

Substances

  • Caspase 2
  • Casp2 protein, mouse