Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41838232›Full record

ArticleCellular oncology (Dordrecht, Netherlands)2026

Single-cell transcriptomic mapping of patient-derived primary liver cancer organoids reveals molecular subtypes and guides precision drug targeting.

Shipeng Dai, Jian Wu, Yue Chai, Zhouxiao Li, Yuchen Xie, Hongyu Wang, Ziyuan Liu, Yanshu He, Hengsong Cao, Weiwei Tang and 7 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cellular oncology (Dordrecht, Netherlands), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

17 authors.

Shipeng Dai *Hepatobiliary Center, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China.
Jian Wu *Department of Bioinformatics, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Yue Chai *Hepatobiliary Center, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China.
Zhouxiao Li *Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Yuchen XieHepatobiliary Center, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China.
Hongyu WangHepatobiliary Center, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China.
Ziyuan LiuHepatobiliary Center, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China.
Yanshu HeHepatobiliary Center, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China.
Hengsong CaoHepatobiliary Center, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China.
Weiwei TangHepatobiliary Center, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China.
Jintao XuSchool of Chinese Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Zongkang ZhangSchool of Chinese Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Yongxiang XiaHepatobiliary Center, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China. yx_xia@njmu.edu.cn.
Xuehao WangHepatobiliary Center, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China. wangxh@njmu.edu.cn.
Li LiuFirst Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China. liuli@tjutcm.edu.cn.
Xinyi XiaInstitute of Laboratory Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China. xinyixia@nju.edu.cn.
Yun GaoHepatobiliary Center, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China. gaoyunjs@njmu.edu.cn.

Funding

Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences No. 2019PT320015the National Natural Science Key Foundation of China No.31930020the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province No. BK20242095
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCurrent liver cancer research lacks reliable in vitro models that replicate tumor pathophysiology. This study establishes primary liver cancer (PLC) organoids from three major subtypes—hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), and combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (CHC)—to enable precise diagnostics and personalized therapies through comprehensive genomic profiling.

methodsOrganoid cultures were generated from 11 PLC patients (5 HCC, 3 ICC, 3 CHC). Whole exome sequencing (WES), RNA-seq, and single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) were performed to analyze molecular differences. Drug screening targeting subtype-specific pathways was conducted to validate sequencing findings.

resultsWES and RNA-seq confirmed that organoids retained parental tumor genetics and heterogeneity, distinct from paracancerous tissues. scRNA-seq revealed distinct cell populations in HCC, ICC, and CHC organoids. Lipid metabolism was enriched in HCC organoids; tumor migration pathways were upregulated in ICC organoids; and mitochondrial function was enhanced in CHC organoids. Rosuvastatin inhibited HCC growth by targeting lipid metabolism, while pemigatinib reduced ICC malignancy by suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Regorafenib impaired mitochondrial function in CHC organoids, slowing progression.

conclusionsPLC-derived organoids serve as robust tools for biomarker discovery and drug screening. scRNA-seq elucidates inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity, offering insights for precision therapy in liver cancer. This model advances personalized treatment strategies for diverse PLC subtypes.

Indexed as

Liver NeoplasmsMolecular Targeted TherapyOrganoidsPrecision MedicineSingle-Cell AnalysisTranscriptomeAntineoplastic AgentsCarcinoma, HepatocellularCholangiocarcinomaExome SequencingFemaleGene Expression ProfilingGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMaleMiddle AgedAntineoplastic AgentsOrganoidsPrimary liver cancerRNA sequencingSingle-cell RNA sequencingWhole exome sequencing

Identifiers

PMID41838232
PMCPMC12992744

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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.