A monocyte-derived blood transcriptomic signature reveals systemic immunosuppression in HCC and partial reversal following curative therapy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Liver ablation or resection can cure early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), yet late diagnosis and high relapse rates hinder long-term survival. We sought to delineate how tumor burden-and its removal-reshape the systemic immune transcriptome and extract blood-based signatures with diagnostic and prognostic potential.

Method

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from six early-stage HCC patients were subjected to single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) both prior to and 1-3 months following curative therapy, alongside six age-matched healthy controls. The data were integrated with independent bulk PBMC transcriptomes and public single-cell datasets of paired tumor and adjacent liver immune cells.

Result

Pre-therapy PBMCs displayed an immunosuppress

SUBMITTER: Zhou L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12867797 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature