Immune-based therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma
David J. Pinato, Nadia Guerra, Petros Fessas, Ravindhi Murphy, Takashi Mineo, Francesco Mauri, Sujit Mukherjee, Mark Thursz, Ching Ngar Wong, Rohini Sharma, Lorenza Rimassa
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most frequent cause of cancer-related death. The immune-rich contexture of the HCC microenvironment makes this tumour an appealing target for immune-based therapies. Here, we discuss how the functional characteristics of the liver microenvironment can potentially be harnessed for the treatment of HCC. We will review the evidence supporting a therapeutic role for vaccines, cell-based therapies and immune-checkpoint inhibitors and discuss the potential for patient stratification in an attempt to overcome the series of failures that has characterised drug development in this disease area.