Circulating Galectin-3: A Prognostic Biomarker in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Introduction: Galectin-3 plays critical roles in the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of tumor cells. Recent data have suggested that galectin-3 plays a role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, its prognostic value has not been validated. The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical and prognostic value of galectin-3 in patients with HCC.

Severe febrile neutropenia and pancytopenia in a patient with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with atezolizumab and bevacizumab: a case report.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), agents that stimulate T-cell function, have become the standard first-line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, they may also cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which are rare and have not been extensively reported. Here, we describe a case of severe febrile neutropenia and pancytopenia after atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (atezo/bev) therapy and its treatment course.

Plasma Growth Hormone as a Prognostic Biomarker to Durvalumab and Tremelimumab in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Introduction: In this study, we explored the potential of plasma growth hormone (GH) as a prognostic biomarker in patients with advanced HCC treated with durvalumab plus tremelimumab (D+T).

Methods: In this study, we included 16 patients with advanced HCC who received D+T at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2022 and 2023 and had plasma GH measurements recorded before treatment. Plasma GH levels were measured from prospectively collected blood samples and were correlated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

A meta-analysis and real-world cohort study on the sex-related differences in efficacy and safety of immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background & Aims: Sex-related differences in the immune pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), particularly related to oestrogen-dependent secretion of pro-tumourigenic cytokines, are well-known. Whether sex influences the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy is not known.

Methods: We performed a restricted maximum likelihood random effects meta-analysis of five phase III trials that evaluated immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in advanced HCC and reported overall survival (OS) hazard ratios (HRs) stratified by sex to evaluate sex-related differences in OS.

Efficacy and safety of atezolizumab/bevacizumab in patients with HCC after prior systemic therapy: A global, observational study.

Background: Since the introduction of the combination treatment of anti-programmed death-ligand 1 antibody atezolizumab and anti-VEGF antibody bevacizumab (AB), median overall survival in HCC has drastically improved. However, evidence on the efficacy and safety of the novel treatment standard in patients with prior exposure to systemic treatment is scarce. The aim of this global, multicenter, observational study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of AB in patients after previous systemic therapy.

The Gut Microbiome as a Biomarker and Therapeutic Target in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

The microbiome is pivotal in maintaining health and influencing disease by modulating essential inflammatory and immune responses. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), ranking as the third most common cause of cancer-related fatalities globally, is influenced by the gut microbiome through bidirectional interactions between the gut and liver, as evidenced in both mouse models and human studies. Consequently, biomarkers based on gut microbiota represent promising non-invasive tools for the early detection of HCC.

Systemic Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Therapies in the Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma-A Narrative Review.

The burden of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) continues to pose a significant global health problem. Several systemic therapies have recently been shown to improve survival for patients with unresectable disease. However, evidence to support the use of neoadjuvant or adjuvant systemic therapies in patients with resectable disease is limited, despite the high risk of recurrence.

Angiotensin II receptor inhibition ameliorates liver fibrosis and enhances hepatocellular carcinoma infiltration by effector T cells.

Although viral hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is declining, nonviral HCC, which often is the end stage of nonalcoholic or alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH, ASH), is on an upward trajectory. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) that block the T cell inhibitory receptor PD-1 were approved for treatment of all HCC types. However, only a minority of HCC patients show a robust and sustained response to PD-1 blockade, calling for improved understanding of factors that negatively impact response rate and duration and the discovery of new adjuvant treatments that enhance ICI responsiveness.

Angiotensin II receptor inhibition ameliorates liver fibrosis and enhances hepatocellular carcinoma infiltration by effector T cells.

Unlabelled: Although viral hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is declining, non-viral HCC, which often is the end-stage of non-alcoholic or alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH, ASH), is on an upward trajectory. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) that block the T cell inhibitory receptor PD-1 were approved for treatment of all HCC types. However, only a small portion of HCC patients show a robust and sustained response to PD-1 blockade, calling for improved understanding of factors that negatively impact response rate and duration and the discovery of new adjuvant treatments that enhance ICI responsiveness.

Plasma growth hormone is a potential biomarker of response to atezolizumab and bevacizumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has limited systemic therapy options when discovered at an advanced stage. Thus, there is a need for accessible and minimally invasive biomarkers of response to guide the selection of patients for treatment. This study investigated the biomarker value of plasma growth hormone (GH) level as a potential biomarker to predict outcome in unresectable HCC patients treated with current standard therapy, atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo/Bev).

lung infection in an immunocompetent patient.

has been implicated in cutaneous manifestations in humans, causing persistent wounds called Buruli ulcer. However, it has not been associated with pulmonary infections in humans to date. Herein, we report a case of an immunocompetent adult man with no underlying medical problems presenting with dyspnoea and generalised malaise and diagnosed with lung infection.