PD-L1(+) tumor-associated macrophages induce CD8(+) T Cell exhaustion in hepatocellular carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: The therapeutic efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is profoundly influenced by the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), where tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) expressing programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) serve as key modulators of immune suppression and tumor progression. Although PD-L1(+) TAMs have attracted increasing attention, their precise immunological functions in patients with HCC remain incompletely understood. In this study, we conducted an integrated analysis combining single-cell transcriptomics, spatial profiling, in vitro functional assays, and in vivo therapeutic modeling to clarify the role of PD-L1(+) TAMs in HCC. Single-cell RNA sequencing of tumor samples from patients with HCC (GSE189903) revealed that int

SUBMITTER: Nosaka T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12513114 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature