Tong Jing, Tan Yongci, Ouyang Wenwen, Chang Haocai
MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
Exp Hematol Oncol. 2025 May 2;14(1):65. doi: 10.1186/s40164-025-00636-5.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary liver cancer characterized by poor immune cell infiltration and a strongly immunosuppressive microenvironment. Traditional treatments have often yielded unsatisfactory outcomes due to the insidious onset of the disease. Encouragingly, the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has significantly transformed the approach to HCC treatment. Moreover, combining ICIs with other therapies or novel materials is considered the most promising opportunity in HCC, with some of these combinations already being evaluated in large-scale clinical trials. Unfortunately, most clinical trials fail to meet their endpoints, and the few successful ones also face challenges. This indicates that the potential of ICIs in HCC treatment remains underutilized, prompting a reevaluation of this promising therapy. Therefore, this article provides a review of the role of immune checkpoints in cancer treatment, the research progress of ICIs and their combination application in the treatment of HCC, aiming to open up avenues for the development of safer and more efficient immune checkpoint-related strategies for HCC treatment.
肝细胞癌（HCC）是一种原发性肝癌，其特征是免疫细胞浸润不良且存在强烈的免疫抑制微环境。由于该疾病起病隐匿，传统治疗往往效果不尽人意。令人鼓舞的是，免疫检查点抑制剂（ICIs）的引入显著改变了HCC的治疗方法。此外，将ICIs与其他疗法或新型材料联合使用被认为是HCC治疗中最有前景的机会，其中一些联合疗法已在大规模临床试验中进行评估。不幸的是，大多数临床试验未能达到终点，少数成功的试验也面临挑战。这表明ICIs在HCC治疗中的潜力仍未得到充分利用，促使人们重新评估这种有前景的疗法。因此，本文综述了免疫检查点在癌症治疗中的作用、ICIs及其联合应用在HCC治疗中的研究进展，旨在为开发更安全、更有效的HCC免疫检查点相关治疗策略开辟道路。
