News Release

Sorafenib treatment alters immunosuppressive phenotypes in hepatocellular carcinoma

Peer-Reviewed Publication

JCI Journals

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of liver cancer and results from long-term damage and fibrosis, such as is caused by chronic alcohol abuse and viral-induced hepatitis. Patients with advanced HCC are often given the drug sorafenib, which targets vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and other kinases to prevent blood vessel growth in the tumor. Recent studies indicate that sorafenib can also alter immune cell function in patients. In this issue of JCI Insight, Yasmin Thanavala and colleagues at Roswell Park Cancer Institute evaluated the immune response in a small cohort of patients with advanced HCC before and after treatment with sorafenib. Sorafenib treatment was associated with a reduction in immune-suppressive phenotypes, including decreased expression of PD-1, which dampens the responsiveness of a group of immune cells that can attack the tumor (known as effector T cells), fewer immune cells that dampen immune responses (regulatory T cells), and lower levels of factors that suppress immune system activity. Several of these responses were associated with increased overall survival. Together, the results of this study indicate that evaluation of HCC patient immune phenotypes before and after sorafenib can help predict treatment outcome.

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TITLE: PD-1+ and Foxp3+ T cell reduction correlates with survival of HCC patients after sorafenib therapy

AUTHOR CONTACT: Yasmin Thanavala
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Email: yasmin.thanavala@roswellpark.org

MEDIA CONTACT: Annie Deck-Miller
Senior Media Relations Manager
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Email: Ann.Deck-Miller@RoswellPark.org

View this article at: http://insight.jci.org/articles/view/86182?key=0636e0a5e60402318c3c

JCI Insight is the newest publication from the American Society of Clinical Investigation, a nonprofit honor organization of physician-scientists. JCI Insight is dedicated to publishing a range of translational biomedical research with an emphasis on rigorous experimental methods and data reporting. All articles published in JCI Insight are freely available at the time of publication. For more information about JCI Insight and all of the latest articles go to http://www.insight.jci.org.


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