Molecular insights into early malignant transition of hepatocellular carcinoma - PubMed
3 hours ago
- #Immune Evasion
- #Hepatocellular Carcinoma
- #Early Malignant Transition
- Study profiles genomic and immunological landscapes of 21 very early hepatocellular carcinomas (veHCCs) arising in 17 cancer-prone dysplastic nodules (DNs).
- 82% of cancer-prone DNs had TERT alterations, suggesting a predisposing rather than causative role in malignant transition.
- Accumulation of copy number alterations (CNAs), not single-nucleotide variants, strongly associates with malignant transition.
- Cancer-prone DNs show immune inactivity, differing from the chronic inflammation paradigm for HCC.
- 43% of veHCCs exhibit an inflamed yet immune-evasive phenotype.
- Two evolutionary scenarios proposed: CNA-dominant progression and inflamed progression with early immune evasion, highlighting potential for early immunotherapy intervention.