Immune microenvironment and therapeutic progress of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation

HCC is a highly lethal tumor, and orthotopic liver transplantation, as one of the radical treatment methods for HCC, has opened-up a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of primary liver cancer. However, tumor recurrence after liver transplantation is the main reason that affects the long-term survival of recipients. At present, the application of ICIs has brought dawn to patients with refractory HCC. However, because of the special immune tolerance state created by long-term oral immunosuppressants in patients with HCC after liver transplantation, the current focus is how to regulate the immune balance of such patients and simultaneously maximize the anti-tumor effect. This article reviews the relationship between liver cancer and immunity, im-mune tolerance of liver transplantation, immune microenvironment after liver transplantation for HCC, and the application of immunotherapy in the recurrence of liver transplantation for HCC.

Automated summary

HCC is a highly lethal tumor, and orthotopic liver transplantation has provided a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of primary liver cancer. However, tumor recurrence after transplantation remains a major issue. The application of ICIs has shown promising results, but the challenge lies in regulating immune balance and maximizing anti-tumor effects in patients with HCC after liver transplantation.