Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 12, 2025

An Oncogenic Hepatocyte-Induced Orthotopic Mouse Model of Hepatocellular Cancer Arising in the Setting of Hepatic Inflammation and Fibrosis
Published on: September 12, 2019
Immunotherapy and Cirrhosis: Expanding Child-Pugh Boundaries in Liver Cancer
Michael Li1,2, Robin K Kelley1,3
1Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
Abstract:
Immunotherapy has historically been restricted to patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with well-preserved liver function, based upon safety and efficacy data established in clinical trial populations. Although an immunosuppressive microenvironment coupled with comorbid cirrhosis may contribute to poorer outcomes, a subset of patients with worse degrees of liver function achieves significant clinical benefit from combination immunotherapy. See related article by Lee et al., p. 4323.
Related Concept Videos
Tumor Immunotherapy
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against...

