Reports on Liver Cancer from Stanford University Provide New Insights (Spatial Analysis Reveals Targetable Macrophage-mediated Mechanisms of Immune Evasion In Hepatocellular Carcinoma Minimal Residual Disease).

A study conducted by researchers at Stanford University explores the mechanisms of immune evasion in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a type of liver cancer. The study identifies a spatial neighborhood where PD-L1+ M2-like macrophages interact with stem-like tumor cells, leading to CD8+ T cell exhaustion and poor survival. The researchers also demonstrate that blocking PD-L1 and TGF beta can eliminate immunosuppressive macrophages, recruit activated CD8+ T cells, and eliminate residual stem-like tumor cells in mouse models. This research suggests that targeting the interaction between macrophages and tumor cells may prevent HCC recurrence. [Extracted from the article]