Hepatocellular carcinoma hosts cholinergic neural cells and tumoral hepatocytes harboring targetable muscarinic receptors.

Background & Aims: Owing to unexplained interpatient variation and treatment failure in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), novel therapeutic approaches remain an urgent clinical need. Hepatic neurons, belonging to the autonomic nervous system (ANS), mediate liver/whole body crosstalk. Pathological innervation of the ANS has been identified in cancer, nurturing tumor stroma and conferring stronger carcinogenic properties.

Single-cell RNA seq-derived signatures define response patterns to atezolizumab + bevacizumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background & Aims: The combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab (atezo+bev) is the current standard of care for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), providing a median overall survival (OS) of 19.2 months. Here, we aim to uncover the underlying cellular processes driving clinical benefit versus resistance to atezo+bev.

Oncogenic role of PMEPA1 and its association with immune exhaustion and TGF-β activation in HCC.

Background & Aims: Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) plays an oncogenic role in advanced cancer by promoting cell proliferation, metastasis and immunosuppression. (prostate transmembrane protein androgen induced 1) has been shown to promote TGF-β oncogenic effects in other tumour types. Thus, we aimed to explore the role of in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Impact of underlying liver disease on unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are standard therapy for unresectable HCC, but many patients do not respond. Non-viral HCC, particularly non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), have been implicated in ICI resistance.

Methods: We reviewed 288 patients with unresectable HCC who received ICI from 1/2017 to 12/2021.