Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, such as drugs targeting PD-1/PD-L1, CTLA4, LAG3, TIM3, and TIGIT, has changed the mode of tumor treatment and benefited more and more patients with hepatobiliary tumors. In tumor immunotherapy, some immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) can promote the activation of T cells and thus play an anti-tumor role. However, certain immune cells in TME, such as macrophages and Treg cells, could inhibit the anti-tumor effect of ICB therapy and even promote drug resistance and metastasis. Understanding the heterogeneity of tumor immune cells and the identification of potential immune-promoting or immunosuppressive subgroups in TME will help to screen drug targets and make ICB more accurately applied to the treatment of patients with hepatobiliary tumors.
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is capable of exploring tumor heterogeneity, as well as revealing oncogenic cellular populations and uncovering associated markers at the single-cell level. Multiple immunohistochemistry (mIHC) and multiple immunofluorescence (mIF) at the protein level can analyze and quantify the immune cell subsets, their functional status, and spatial arrangement in TME. Additionally, the clinical significance and value of T-cell receptor (TCR) and B-cell receptor (BCR) repertoire diversity in tumors are vague, and immune receptor repertoires can be used to illuminate the clonal distribution of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Therefore, the heterogeneity of hepatobiliary tumors, the effect exerted by specific cell subsets, and TCR/BCR repertoire diversity should be identified and verified by advanced technologies, such as scRNA-seq, Cy-TOF, spatial transcriptomics, mIHC/ mIF, and immune receptor repertoires.
The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a forum to further research on the contribution of the heterogeneity of hepatobiliary tumors, TCR/BCR repertoire diversity, and the effect exerted by specific cell subsets, as well as to explore how novel targets and drugs regulate TME and hepatobiliary tumors.
This Research Topic welcomes, but is not limited to, the following subtopics:
1) Identification of the potential immune-promoting or immunosuppressive subgroups in TME in hepatobiliary tumors, using CRISPR screening, scRNA-seq, mIHC/ mIF, and other technologies.
2) Exploration of the resistance mechanism of ICB therapy in hepatobiliary tumors, using CRISPR screening, scRNA-seq, mIHC/ mIF and other technologies.
3) Screening of cell heterogeneity and molecular phenotypes of immune cells in the recurrence of hepatobiliary tumors, using CRISPR screening, scRNA-seq, mIHC/ mIF, and other technologies.
4) Next-generation immunosequencing reveals immune signatures in hepatobiliary tumors.
5) Molecular mechanisms and intervention strategies of metastatic liver cancer.
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, such as drugs targeting PD-1/PD-L1, CTLA4, LAG3, TIM3, and TIGIT, has changed the mode of tumor treatment and benefited more and more patients with hepatobiliary tumors. In tumor immunotherapy, some immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) can promote the activation of T cells and thus play an anti-tumor role. However, certain immune cells in TME, such as macrophages and Treg cells, could inhibit the anti-tumor effect of ICB therapy and even promote drug resistance and metastasis. Understanding the heterogeneity of tumor immune cells and the identification of potential immune-promoting or immunosuppressive subgroups in TME will help to screen drug targets and make ICB more accurately applied to the treatment of patients with hepatobiliary tumors.
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is capable of exploring tumor heterogeneity, as well as revealing oncogenic cellular populations and uncovering associated markers at the single-cell level. Multiple immunohistochemistry (mIHC) and multiple immunofluorescence (mIF) at the protein level can analyze and quantify the immune cell subsets, their functional status, and spatial arrangement in TME. Additionally, the clinical significance and value of T-cell receptor (TCR) and B-cell receptor (BCR) repertoire diversity in tumors are vague, and immune receptor repertoires can be used to illuminate the clonal distribution of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Therefore, the heterogeneity of hepatobiliary tumors, the effect exerted by specific cell subsets, and TCR/BCR repertoire diversity should be identified and verified by advanced technologies, such as scRNA-seq, Cy-TOF, spatial transcriptomics, mIHC/ mIF, and immune receptor repertoires.
The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a forum to further research on the contribution of the heterogeneity of hepatobiliary tumors, TCR/BCR repertoire diversity, and the effect exerted by specific cell subsets, as well as to explore how novel targets and drugs regulate TME and hepatobiliary tumors.
This Research Topic welcomes, but is not limited to, the following subtopics:
1) Identification of the potential immune-promoting or immunosuppressive subgroups in TME in hepatobiliary tumors, using CRISPR screening, scRNA-seq, mIHC/ mIF, and other technologies.
2) Exploration of the resistance mechanism of ICB therapy in hepatobiliary tumors, using CRISPR screening, scRNA-seq, mIHC/ mIF and other technologies.
3) Screening of cell heterogeneity and molecular phenotypes of immune cells in the recurrence of hepatobiliary tumors, using CRISPR screening, scRNA-seq, mIHC/ mIF, and other technologies.
4) Next-generation immunosequencing reveals immune signatures in hepatobiliary tumors.
5) Molecular mechanisms and intervention strategies of metastatic liver cancer.
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
