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Immune Regulation in HCC and the Prospect of Immunotherapy

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Precision Molecular Pathology of Liver Cancer

Part of the book series: Molecular Pathology Library ((MPLB))

  • 998 Accesses

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths worldwide, and the prognosis remains poor. The currently available treatment protocols have not been able to affect the overall prognosis significantly. Immune processes have been shown to play a major role in tumorigenesis of HCC. The immune tolerance of the liver which allows liver transplant candidates to be maintained on minimal doses of immunosuppressants also contributes to HCC development and metastasis. This understanding has opened the scope of immune-based treatments in advanced HCC. Various preclinical and early clinical trials of immunotherapy in HCC, including immune checkpoint blockade, immune cell-based therapy, vaccination strategies, and combination of these approaches with conventional therapies, are ongoing. In this chapter, we discuss the immune regulation in HCC and the evolution of immune-based treatment approaches for hepatocellular carcinoma.

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Abbreviations

AFP:

Alpha-fetoprotein

APC:

Antigen-presenting cell

CD:

Cluster of differentiation

CTA:

Cancer testis antigen

CTL:

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte

CTLA:

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen

DC:

Dendritic cell

FGF:

Fibroblast growth factor

GM-CSF:

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor

GPC3:

Glypican-3

HCC:

Hepatocellular carcinoma

hTERT:

Human telomerase reverse transcriptase

ICAM:

Intercellular adhesion molecule

IDO:

Indoleamine dioxygenase

IFN:

Interferon

IL:

Interleukin

LFA:

Lymphocyte function-associated antigen

LSEC:

Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells

MDSC:

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells

MHC:

Major histocompatibility complex

NK:

Natural killer

PBMC:

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells

PD-1:

Programmed death receptor 1

PD-L1:

Programmed death-1 ligand

PG:

Prostaglandin

RFA:

Radiofrequency ablation

TAA:

Tumor-associated antigen

TACE:

Transarterial chemoembolization

TGF:

Transforming growth factor

TIL:

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes

TLR:

Toll-like receptor

TNF:

Tumor necrosis factor

Treg:

T regulatory cells

VEGF:

Vascular endothelial growth factor

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA

    Joydeep Chakraborty M.D. & Roniel Cabrera M.D.

  2. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC, USA

    Eric Hilgenfeldt M.D.

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  1. Joydeep Chakraborty M.D.
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  2. Eric Hilgenfeldt M.D.
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  3. Roniel Cabrera M.D.
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Correspondence to Roniel Cabrera M.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA

    Chen Liu

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Chakraborty, J., Hilgenfeldt, E., Cabrera, R. (2018). Immune Regulation in HCC and the Prospect of Immunotherapy. In: Liu, C. (eds) Precision Molecular Pathology of Liver Cancer. Molecular Pathology Library. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68082-8_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68082-8_10

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