Adding dendritic cell-immunotherapy for post-transplant hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence
BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after liver transplantation is frequently multiple and extrahepatic, and with a poor prognosis. The therapeutic effects of current medications for post-transplant HCC recurrence are limited. This study assessed whether outcomes could be improved by...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Immunology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1589634/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849344142616821760 |
|---|---|
| author | Wei-Chen Lee Wei-Chen Lee Chih-Hsien Cheng Tsung-Han Wu Yu-Chao Wang Jin-Chiao Lee Hao-Chien Hung Chen-Fang Lee Chen-Fang Lee Ting-Jung Wu Ting-Jung Wu Hong-Shiue Chou Kun-Ming Chan Kun-Ming Chan |
| author_facet | Wei-Chen Lee Wei-Chen Lee Chih-Hsien Cheng Tsung-Han Wu Yu-Chao Wang Jin-Chiao Lee Hao-Chien Hung Chen-Fang Lee Chen-Fang Lee Ting-Jung Wu Ting-Jung Wu Hong-Shiue Chou Kun-Ming Chan Kun-Ming Chan |
| author_sort | Wei-Chen Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after liver transplantation is frequently multiple and extrahepatic, and with a poor prognosis. The therapeutic effects of current medications for post-transplant HCC recurrence are limited. This study assessed whether outcomes could be improved by adding dendritic cell (DC)immunotherapy to the treatment regimen.MethodsEleven patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors and DC-immunotherapy for post-transplant HCC recurrence between 2020 and 2024 were included. DC were propagated from peripheral blood monocytes and pulsed with tumor lysate. Historical data of patients (n =23) with tyrosine kinase inhibitors for post-transplant HCC recurrence between 2009 and 2020 were collected as a reference.ResultsSeven male and four female patients were included in this study. The median (interquartile) tumor recurrence time after transplantation was 35.0 (7.4-55.3) months. The median number of DC-immunotherapy were 5 ranged from 3 to 10, and the median number of cells admitted was 29.5x106 cells ranged from 16.0 to 137.2 x106 cells. Responses to DC-immunotherapy included nine stable diseases and two progressive diseases. No adverse effects related to DC treatment were observed. The 1-, 2- and 3- year survival rates were 70.7%, 40.4%, and 40.4%, respectively, compared to 52.5%, 17.4%, and 8.7%, respectively, for patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors only (p = 0.050).ConclusionDC immunotherapy is a safe treatment for transplant recipients with HCC recurrence. Adding DC-immunotherapy to the treatment regimen could prolong the survival of some patients. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a737323ad02a476a8ffec5742b61df0a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-3224 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Immunology |
| spelling | doaj-art-a737323ad02a476a8ffec5742b61df0a2025-08-20T03:42:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242025-08-011610.3389/fimmu.2025.15896341589634Adding dendritic cell-immunotherapy for post-transplant hepatocellular carcinoma recurrenceWei-Chen Lee0Wei-Chen Lee1Chih-Hsien Cheng2Tsung-Han Wu3Yu-Chao Wang4Jin-Chiao Lee5Hao-Chien Hung6Chen-Fang Lee7Chen-Fang Lee8Ting-Jung Wu9Ting-Jung Wu10Hong-Shiue Chou11Kun-Ming Chan12Kun-Ming Chan13Division of Liver and Transplantation Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, TaiwanChang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, TaiwanDivision of Liver and Transplantation Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, TaiwanDivision of Liver and Transplantation Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, TaiwanDivision of Liver and Transplantation Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, TaiwanDivision of Liver and Transplantation Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, TaiwanDivision of Liver and Transplantation Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, TaiwanDivision of Liver and Transplantation Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, TaiwanChang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, TaiwanDivision of Liver and Transplantation Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, TaiwanChang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, TaiwanDivision of Liver and Transplantation Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, TaiwanDivision of Liver and Transplantation Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, TaiwanChang-Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, TaiwanBackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after liver transplantation is frequently multiple and extrahepatic, and with a poor prognosis. The therapeutic effects of current medications for post-transplant HCC recurrence are limited. This study assessed whether outcomes could be improved by adding dendritic cell (DC)immunotherapy to the treatment regimen.MethodsEleven patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors and DC-immunotherapy for post-transplant HCC recurrence between 2020 and 2024 were included. DC were propagated from peripheral blood monocytes and pulsed with tumor lysate. Historical data of patients (n =23) with tyrosine kinase inhibitors for post-transplant HCC recurrence between 2009 and 2020 were collected as a reference.ResultsSeven male and four female patients were included in this study. The median (interquartile) tumor recurrence time after transplantation was 35.0 (7.4-55.3) months. The median number of DC-immunotherapy were 5 ranged from 3 to 10, and the median number of cells admitted was 29.5x106 cells ranged from 16.0 to 137.2 x106 cells. Responses to DC-immunotherapy included nine stable diseases and two progressive diseases. No adverse effects related to DC treatment were observed. The 1-, 2- and 3- year survival rates were 70.7%, 40.4%, and 40.4%, respectively, compared to 52.5%, 17.4%, and 8.7%, respectively, for patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors only (p = 0.050).ConclusionDC immunotherapy is a safe treatment for transplant recipients with HCC recurrence. Adding DC-immunotherapy to the treatment regimen could prolong the survival of some patients.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1589634/fullDCdendritic cellhepatocellular carcinomaliver transplantationtyrosine kinase inhibitorimmune checkpoint inhibitor |
| spellingShingle | Wei-Chen Lee Wei-Chen Lee Chih-Hsien Cheng Tsung-Han Wu Yu-Chao Wang Jin-Chiao Lee Hao-Chien Hung Chen-Fang Lee Chen-Fang Lee Ting-Jung Wu Ting-Jung Wu Hong-Shiue Chou Kun-Ming Chan Kun-Ming Chan Adding dendritic cell-immunotherapy for post-transplant hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence Frontiers in Immunology DC dendritic cell hepatocellular carcinoma liver transplantation tyrosine kinase inhibitor immune checkpoint inhibitor |
| title | Adding dendritic cell-immunotherapy for post-transplant hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence |
| title_full | Adding dendritic cell-immunotherapy for post-transplant hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence |
| title_fullStr | Adding dendritic cell-immunotherapy for post-transplant hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adding dendritic cell-immunotherapy for post-transplant hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence |
| title_short | Adding dendritic cell-immunotherapy for post-transplant hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence |
| title_sort | adding dendritic cell immunotherapy for post transplant hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence |
| topic | DC dendritic cell hepatocellular carcinoma liver transplantation tyrosine kinase inhibitor immune checkpoint inhibitor |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1589634/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT weichenlee addingdendriticcellimmunotherapyforposttransplanthepatocellularcarcinomarecurrence AT weichenlee addingdendriticcellimmunotherapyforposttransplanthepatocellularcarcinomarecurrence AT chihhsiencheng addingdendriticcellimmunotherapyforposttransplanthepatocellularcarcinomarecurrence AT tsunghanwu addingdendriticcellimmunotherapyforposttransplanthepatocellularcarcinomarecurrence AT yuchaowang addingdendriticcellimmunotherapyforposttransplanthepatocellularcarcinomarecurrence AT jinchiaolee addingdendriticcellimmunotherapyforposttransplanthepatocellularcarcinomarecurrence AT haochienhung addingdendriticcellimmunotherapyforposttransplanthepatocellularcarcinomarecurrence AT chenfanglee addingdendriticcellimmunotherapyforposttransplanthepatocellularcarcinomarecurrence AT chenfanglee addingdendriticcellimmunotherapyforposttransplanthepatocellularcarcinomarecurrence AT tingjungwu addingdendriticcellimmunotherapyforposttransplanthepatocellularcarcinomarecurrence AT tingjungwu addingdendriticcellimmunotherapyforposttransplanthepatocellularcarcinomarecurrence AT hongshiuechou addingdendriticcellimmunotherapyforposttransplanthepatocellularcarcinomarecurrence AT kunmingchan addingdendriticcellimmunotherapyforposttransplanthepatocellularcarcinomarecurrence AT kunmingchan addingdendriticcellimmunotherapyforposttransplanthepatocellularcarcinomarecurrence |