Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40535484›Full record

ReviewWorld journal of transplantation2025

Immunotherapy and liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: Current and future challenges.

Theodoros Pettas, Sofia Lachanoudi, Filippos F Karageorgos, Ioannis A Ziogas, Asimina Fylaktou, Vassilios Papalois, Georgios Katsanos, Nikolaos Antoniadis, Georgios Tsoulfas

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in World journal of transplantation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Theodoros PettasDepartment of Transplantation Surgery, Center for Research and Innovation in Solid Organ Transplantation, Aristotle University School of Medicine, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece.
Sofia LachanoudiDepartment of Transplantation Surgery, Center for Research and Innovation in Solid Organ Transplantation, Aristotle University School of Medicine, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece.
Filippos F KarageorgosDepartment of Transplantation Surgery, Center for Research and Innovation in Solid Organ Transplantation, Aristotle University School of Medicine, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece.
Ioannis A ZiogasDepartment of Surgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, United States.
Asimina FylaktouDepartment of Immunology, National Peripheral Histocompatibility Center, Hippokration General Hospital, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece.
Vassilios PapaloisDepartment of Transplant Surgery, Imperial College Renal and Transplant Centre, London W12 0HS, United Kingdom.
Georgios KatsanosDepartment of Transplantation Surgery, Center for Research and Innovation in Solid Organ Transplantation, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Medicine, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece.
Nikolaos AntoniadisDepartment of Transplantation Surgery, Center for Research and Innovation in Solid Organ Transplantation, Aristotle University School of Medicine, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece.
Georgios TsoulfasDepartment of Transplantation Surgery, Center for Research and Innovation in Solid Organ Transplantation, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Medicine, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece. tsoulfasg@gmail.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Despite existing curative options like surgical removal, tissue destruction techniques, and liver transplantation for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the rising incidence and mortality rates of this global health burden necessitate continuous exploration of novel therapeutic strategies. This review critically assesses the dynamic treatment panorama for HCC, focusing specifically on the burgeoning role of immunotherapy in two key contexts: early-stage HCC and downstaging advanced HCC to facilitate liver transplant candidacy. It delves into the unique immunobiology of the liver and HCC, highlighting tumor-mediated immune evasion mechanisms. Analyzing the diverse immunotherapeutic approaches including checkpoint inhibitors, cytokine modulators, vaccines, oncolytic viruses, antigen-targeting antibodies, and adoptive cell therapy, this review acknowledges the limitations of current diagnostic markers alpha-fetoprotein and glypican-3 and emphasizes the need for novel biomarkers for patient selection and treatment monitoring. Exploring the rationale for neoadjuvant and adjuvant immunotherapy in early-stage HCC, current research is actively exploring the safety and effectiveness of diverse immunotherapeutic approaches through ongoing clinical trials. The review further explores the potential benefits and challenges of combining immunotherapy and liver transplant, highlighting the need for careful patient selection, meticulous monitoring, and novel strategies to mitigate post-transplant complications. Finally, this review delves into the latest findings from the clinical research landscape and future directions in HCC management, paving the way for optimizing treatment strategies and improving long-term survival rates for patients with this challenging malignancy.

Indexed as

Adoptive cell therapyAntigen-targeting antibodiesDiagnostic biomarkersHepatocellular carcinomaImmune checkpoint inhibitorsImmunotherapyLiver transplantationNeoadjuvant and adjuvant immunotherapyOncolytic virusesVaccine therapies

Identifiers

PMID40535484
PMCPMC11886283

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.