Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41491521›Full record

ArticleMolecular cancer2026

Integrating single cell- and spatial- resolved transcriptomics unravels the inter-tumor heterogeneity and immunosuppressive landscape in HBV- and Clonorchis sinensis-associated hepatocellular carcinoma.

Jiayun Chen, Wenmin Lu, Yanni Lou, Jing Liu, Xiwen Liao, Yunmeng Bai, Guangqing Cheng, Guangzhi Zhu, Ji Feng, Junqi Liu and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing 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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. IntegratingFrontiers in immunology · 2026
    Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
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

16 authors.

Jiayun Chen *Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China.
Wenmin Lu *Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China.
Yanni Lou *Department of Integrative Oncology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 East Yinghua Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, China.
Jing Liu *Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Preparations, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China.
Xiwen Liao *Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, 6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China.
Yunmeng BaiState Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, Artemisinin Research Center, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
Guangqing ChengState Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, Artemisinin Research Center, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
Guangzhi ZhuDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, 6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China.
Ji FengDepartment of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China.
Junqi LiuDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, 6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China.
Zhaoji LiuDepartment of Physiology, School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, 22 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China.
Liqun JiaDepartment of Integrative Oncology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 East Yinghua Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, China. liqun-jia@hotmail.com.
Jing ZhouDepartment of Physiology, School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, 22 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China. gardenia_zhou@hotmail.com.
Tao PengDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, 6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China. p98720p@163.com.
Guo-Dong LuDepartment of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China. lugd@fudan.edu.cn.
Jigang WangDepartment of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China. jgwang@icmm.ac.cn.

Funding

the National Key Research and Development Program of China No.2022YFC2303603
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver carcinoma with high lethality. Both of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis) are critical infectious contributors to HCC development. However, the inter-tumor heterogeneity and tumor microenvironment (TME) of HCC patients with different infectious background remain largely unknown.

methodsWe compiled a cohort of 269 primary HCC patients to assess the clinical impact of C. sinensis and HBV infections on patient prognosis. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomic (ST-seq) analyses were performed on tumor and adjacent normal samples from C. sinensis-associated HCC (CP), and double-infection HCC (DP) patients. Additionally, we integrated publicly available scRNA-seq and ST-seq datasets from HBV-associated (HP) patients. Immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry and in vitro experiments were conducted to validate inter-tumor heterogeneity among the three HCC subtypes.

resultsC. sinensis infection is significantly associated with poorer prognosis in HCC patients. Multi-omics analyses revealed distinct inter-tumor heterogeneity in epithelial, immune, and stromal compartments across different HCC subtypes. Tumor cells in the DP group exhibited more malignant marker expression, higher copy number variation scores, increased activation of p53 pathway, and worse survival outcomes. Compared with other HCC subtypes, the TME in DP samples was enriched with SPP1

conclusionThese findings decipher the cellular signatures and their interactions within the TME, shedding light on the inter-tumoral heterogeneity driven by different infections, and the development of targeted therapies for infectious HCC.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularClonorchiasisClonorchis sinensisHepatitis BLiver NeoplasmsSingle-Cell AnalysisTranscriptomeBiomarkers, TumorFemaleGene Expression ProfilingGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHepatitis B virusHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisBiomarkers, TumorClonorchis sinensisHepatitis B virusHepatocellular carcinomaInter-tumoral heterogeneitySingle cell RNA sequencingSpatial transcriptomics

Identifiers

PMID41491521
PMCPMC12771911

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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.