Impact of immunosuppressants on tumor pulmonary metastasis: new insight into transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Pulmonary metastasis is a life-threatening complication for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing liver transplantation (LT). In addition to the common mechanisms underlying tumor metastasis, another inevitable factor is that the application of immunosuppressive agents, including calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) and rapamycin inhibitors (mTORis), after transplantation could influence tumor recurrence and metastasis. In recent years, several studies have reported that mTORis, unlike CNIs, have the capacity to modulate the tumorigenic landscape post-liver transplantation by targeting metastasis-initiating cells and reshaping the pulmonary microenvironment.

Oncogenic cholesterol rewires lipid metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma via the CSNK2A1-IGF2R Ser2484 axis.

Introduction: Alcohol consumption and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are common risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, few studies have focused on elucidating the mechanisms of HCC with combined alcohol and HBV etiology.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the molecular features of alcohol and HBV on HCC and to seek out potential therapeutic strategies.

FGF21 modulates immunometabolic homeostasis via the ALOX15/15-HETE axis in early liver graft injury.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is essential for modulating hepatic homeostasis, but the impact of FGF21 on liver graft injury remains uncertain. Here, we show that high FGF21 levels in liver graft and serum are associated with improved graft function and survival in liver transplantation (LT) recipients. FGF21 deficiency aggravates early graft injury and activates arachidonic acid metabolism and regional inflammation in male mouse models of hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and orthotopic LT.

Myosteatosis and muscle loss impact liver transplant outcomes in male patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Sarcopenia is associated with unfavourable long-term survival in patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the impact of myosteatosis and muscle loss on patient prognosis has not been investigated.

Methods: Seven hundred fifty-six HCC patients who received LT at 3 transplant centres were included.

Chitinase-3 like-protein-1, a prognostic biomarker in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and concomitant myosteatosis.

Background: Chitinase-3 like-protein-1 (CHI3L1) is a member of the mammalian chitinase-like proteins and elevated serum CHI3L1 level has been proved to be associated with poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum CHI3L1 levels and body composition parameters in patients with HCC after liver transplantation (LT).

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 200 patients after LT for HCC.

Model for end-stage liver disease-dependent prognostic capacity of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio following liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: To improve liver organ allocation, the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score was adopted in candidates reflecting the severity of liver disease and the physical condition of patients. Inflammatory markers are prognostic factors for various cancers and play prognostic roles in patients after liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Researchers focused more on pre-LT inflammatory markers, while the role of dynamic change of these inflammatory markers is still unknown.

The adverse impact of perioperative body composition abnormalities on outcomes after split liver transplantation: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Background: Split liver transplantation (SLT) increases graft availability, but it's safe and effective utilization is insufficiently documented. This study aimed to investigate the association between perioperative body composition abnormalities and outcomes in adult SLT.

Materials And Methods: Two hundred forty recipients who underwent SLT in three centers were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study.

Post-transplant hepatitis B virus reactivation impacts the prognosis of patients with hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma: a dual-centre retrospective cohort study in China.

Background: Highly active hepatitis B virus (HBV) is known to be associated with poor outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to investigate the relationship between HBV status and HCC recurrence after liver transplantation.

Methods: The study retrospectively analyzed HCC patients undergoing liver transplantation in two centres between January 2015 and December 2020.

FGF21-mediated autophagy: Remodeling the homeostasis in response to stress in liver diseases.

Liver diseases are worldwide problems closely associated with various stresses, such as endoplasmic reticulum stress. The exact interplay between stress and liver diseases remains unclear. Autophagy plays an essential role in maintaining homeostasis, and recent studies indicate tight crosstalk between stress and autophagy in liver diseases.

Double-negative T cells: a promising avenue of adoptive cell therapy in transplant oncology.

Tumor recurrence is one of the major life-threatening complications after liver transplantation for liver cancer. In addition to the common mechanisms underlying tumor recurrence, another unavoidable problem is that the immunosuppressive therapeutic regimen after transplantation could promote tumor recurrence and metastasis. Transplant oncology is an emerging field that addresses oncological challenges in transplantation.

TNFR2 is a potent prognostic biomarker for post-transplant lung metastasis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective: Lung metastasis is a common and fatal complication of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The precise prediction of post-transplant lung metastasis in the early phase is of great value.

Methods: The mRNA profiles of primary and paired lung metastatic lesions were analyzed to determine key signaling pathways.

Metabolomic biomarkers for the diagnosis and post-transplant outcomes of AFP negative hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Early diagnosis for α-fetoprotein (AFP) negative hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a critical problem. Metabolomics is prevalently involved in the identification of novel biomarkers. This study aims to identify new and effective markers for AFP negative HCC.

Multi-omics profiling reveals Chitinase-3-like protein 1 as a key mediator in the crosstalk between sarcopenia and liver cancer.

Sarcopenia is prevalent in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and can adversely affect their outcomes. This study aims to explore the key mechanisms in the crosstalk between sarcopenia and HCC based on multi-omics profiling. A total of 136 male patients with HCC were enrolled.

Liver Organoids, Novel and Promising Modalities for Exploring and Repairing Liver Injury.

The past decades have witnessed great advances in organoid technology. Liver is the biggest solid organ, performing multifaceted physiological functions. Nowadays, liver organoids have been applied in many fields including pharmaceutical research, precision medicine and disease models.

One Shoot, Two Birds: Alleviating Inflammation Caused by Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury to Reduce the Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Inflammation is crucial to tumorigenesis and the development of metastasis. Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) is an unresolved problem in liver resection and transplantation which often establishes and remodels the inflammatory microenvironment in liver. More and more experimental and clinical evidence unmasks the role of hepatic IRI and associated inflammation in promoting the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).