BACKGROUND: Liver cancer remains a frequent cause of cancer-related death, and thus targeted drugs urgently need to be developed. Artesunate (ART) inhibits the progression of liver cancer
however, its mechanism of action remains unclear. The primary aim of this study is to clarify whether ART inhibits the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells by suppressing the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/MyD88/nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway. RESULTS: The study showed that ART inhibits HCC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration and induces apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that ART has a potent effect on the development of HCC cells, the underlying mechanisms of which may be associated with alterations in the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway in HCC. Therefore, further development of ART as a therapeutic agent is warranted.