ABSTRACT
Silence information regulators (sirtuins) are highly conserved nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) dependent histone deacetylases, which play important roles in the process of aging, metabolism, apoptosis, gene transcription, and inflammation. There are seven kinds of sirtuins in mammals, SIRT1-SIRT7. These proteins have different subcellular localization and play diverse roles in metabolism. SIRT2, one of the members of sirtuins family, is mainly located in the cytoplasm and participates in the cell cycle control, oxidative stress and glycolipid metabolism. In addition, the expression level of SIRT2 has been widely associated with the development of cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma. SIRT2 possesses a dual role in tumorigenesis, with both tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressing function. However, the mechanisms in which SIRT2 plays the roles in cancer are still controversial. In this review, the conflicting roles of SIRT2 in the tumorigenesis and development of hepatocellular carcinoma were mainly discussed.