Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Immunosuppressive Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review
Liver cancer has the fourth highest mortality rate of all cancers worldwide, with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) being the most prevalent subtype. Despite great advances in systemic therapy, such as molecular-targeted agents, HCC has one of the worst prognoses due to drug resistance and frequent rec...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-05-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/11/5801 |
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| author | Kyoko Oura Asahiro Morishita Joji Tani Tsutomu Masaki |
| author_facet | Kyoko Oura Asahiro Morishita Joji Tani Tsutomu Masaki |
| author_sort | Kyoko Oura |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Liver cancer has the fourth highest mortality rate of all cancers worldwide, with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) being the most prevalent subtype. Despite great advances in systemic therapy, such as molecular-targeted agents, HCC has one of the worst prognoses due to drug resistance and frequent recurrence and metastasis. Recently, new therapeutic strategies such as cancer immunosuppressive therapy have prolonged patients’ lives, and the combination of an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) and VEGF inhibitor is now positioned as the first-line therapy for advanced HCC. Since the efficacy of ICIs depends on the tumor immune microenvironment, it is necessary to elucidate the immune environment of HCC to select appropriate ICIs. In this review, we summarize the findings on the immune microenvironment and immunosuppressive approaches focused on monoclonal antibodies against cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 and programmed cell death protein 1 for HCC. We also describe ongoing treatment modalities, including adoptive cell transfer-based therapies and future areas of exploration based on recent literature. The results of pre-clinical studies using immunological classification and animal models will contribute to the development of biomarkers that predict the efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy and aid in the selection of appropriate strategies for HCC treatment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:55:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-65828e3ebb274361911827fa0987abdd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:55:34Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-65828e3ebb274361911827fa0987abdd2023-11-21T21:52:45ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672021-05-012211580110.3390/ijms22115801Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Immunosuppressive Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A ReviewKyoko Oura0Asahiro Morishita1Joji Tani2Tsutomu Masaki3Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, JapanDepartment of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, JapanDepartment of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, JapanDepartment of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, JapanLiver cancer has the fourth highest mortality rate of all cancers worldwide, with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) being the most prevalent subtype. Despite great advances in systemic therapy, such as molecular-targeted agents, HCC has one of the worst prognoses due to drug resistance and frequent recurrence and metastasis. Recently, new therapeutic strategies such as cancer immunosuppressive therapy have prolonged patients’ lives, and the combination of an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) and VEGF inhibitor is now positioned as the first-line therapy for advanced HCC. Since the efficacy of ICIs depends on the tumor immune microenvironment, it is necessary to elucidate the immune environment of HCC to select appropriate ICIs. In this review, we summarize the findings on the immune microenvironment and immunosuppressive approaches focused on monoclonal antibodies against cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 and programmed cell death protein 1 for HCC. We also describe ongoing treatment modalities, including adoptive cell transfer-based therapies and future areas of exploration based on recent literature. The results of pre-clinical studies using immunological classification and animal models will contribute to the development of biomarkers that predict the efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy and aid in the selection of appropriate strategies for HCC treatment.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/11/5801hepatocellular carcinomatumor microenvironmentimmunotherapyimmune checkpoint inhibitormolecular target agentadaptive cell transfer-based therapy |
| spellingShingle | Kyoko Oura Asahiro Morishita Joji Tani Tsutomu Masaki Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Immunosuppressive Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review International Journal of Molecular Sciences hepatocellular carcinoma tumor microenvironment immunotherapy immune checkpoint inhibitor molecular target agent adaptive cell transfer-based therapy |
| title | Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Immunosuppressive Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review |
| title_full | Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Immunosuppressive Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review |
| title_fullStr | Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Immunosuppressive Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Immunosuppressive Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review |
| title_short | Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Immunosuppressive Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review |
| title_sort | tumor immune microenvironment and immunosuppressive therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma a review |
| topic | hepatocellular carcinoma tumor microenvironment immunotherapy immune checkpoint inhibitor molecular target agent adaptive cell transfer-based therapy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/11/5801 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kyokooura tumorimmunemicroenvironmentandimmunosuppressivetherapyinhepatocellularcarcinomaareview AT asahiromorishita tumorimmunemicroenvironmentandimmunosuppressivetherapyinhepatocellularcarcinomaareview AT jojitani tumorimmunemicroenvironmentandimmunosuppressivetherapyinhepatocellularcarcinomaareview AT tsutomumasaki tumorimmunemicroenvironmentandimmunosuppressivetherapyinhepatocellularcarcinomaareview |