Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 Blockade Immunotherapy Employed in Treating Hepatitis B Virus Infection-Related Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Literature Review.

ABSTRACT: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is regarded as the main etiological risk factor in the process of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as it promotes an immunosuppressive microenvironment that is partially mediated by the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) signaling pathway. The tumor microenvironment (TME) of HBV-related HCC is indeed more immunosuppressive than microenvironments not associated with viruses. And compared to TME in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected HCC, TME of HBV-related HCC is less vascularized and presents different immune components resulting in similar immunosuppression. However, few studies are focusing on the specific side effects and efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade immunotherapy in HBV-related HCC patients, as well as on the underl

SUBMITTER: Li B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7270402 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature