Fine needle aspirates characterise the hepatocellular carcinoma immune niche to predict immune checkpoint inhibitor outcomes.

ABSTRACT:

Background & aims

Antitumour immunity involves a complex balance of immune effectors and regulators, many of which are adapted or compartmentalised within the local microenvironment. How this influences responses to immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is poorly understood because of limited access to the tumour immune landscape. We postulated that fine needle aspirates (FNA) could allow for minimally invasive, in-depth tumour immune profiling in patients with advanced HCC.

Methods

Patients with radiological evidence of advanced HCC were prospectively enrolled to provide matched blood, FNA (n = 29 baseline, 2 also on treatment) and biopsy (n = 20 baseline only) for ex vivo spectral flow cytometric characterisation of multiple immune populations.

Results<

SUBMITTER: Aidoo-Micah G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12800505 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature