ERG mediates the differentiation of hepatic progenitor cells towards immunosuppressive PDGFRα⁺ cancer-associated fibroblasts during hepatocarcinogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play important roles in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and are a key component of the immunosuppressive microenvironment. However, the origin of CAFs has not been fully elucidated. We employed single-cell sequencing technology to identify the dynamic changes in different subsets of fibroblasts at different time points in rat primary HCC model. Inflammation-associated CAFs (Pdgfrα⁺ CAFs) were subsequently identified, which demonstrated a significant correlation with the survival duration of HCC patients and a dual role in the tumour microenvironment (TME). On the one hand, they secrete the chemokines CCL3 and CXCL12, which recruit macrophages to the tumour site. On the other hand, they produce TGFβ, inducing t

SUBMITTER: Bai H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11743139 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature