Impact of ALDH1A1 Expression in Intrahepatic Cholangiocellular Carcinoma

Background: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCC) is a rare malignant liver tumor with limited therapeutic advancements. Despite its increasing global incidence knowledge of treatment options remains stagnant, leading to poor five-year patient survival rates and high recurrence post-surgery. ALDH1A1, a member of the ALDH superfamily, is associated with cancer stem cells and has conflicting reports regarding its prognostic role in iCC. This retrospective study analyzed 69 iCC patient samples from University Hospital Freiburg. Tissue microarrays (TMAs) were constructed, and ALDH1A1 expression was immunohistochemically assessed using machine learning algorithms. Script-based Survival analysis employed Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank tests, and Cox Proportional Hazards Models. ALDH1A1 overexpression, both in tumor and stromal cells, correlates with favorable overall survival in iCC. Gender-specific analyses indicate a more pronounced effect in females. These findings suggest ALDH1A1 as a potential prognostic biomarker in iCC, warranting further validation in larger cohorts and exploration as a therapeutic target.