Journal of Clinical and Cellular Immunology
Open Access

Abstract

Potential Involvement of the ILC2-Regulatory T Cell - Amphiregulin Axisin Liver Cancer Development: Novel Concepts for Immunotherapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Katrin Neumann, Aaron Ochel and Gisa Tiegs

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver tumor and its incidence is increasing. Since this type of cancer is largely resistant to systemic therapies, there is urgent need to identify cellular and molecular pathways involved in the pathogenesis of HCC. Recent evidence implicates inflammation-induced, immune cell-derived amphiregulin (AREG) about interactions between immune cells of the innate and adaptive immune system by AREG in HCC development. We postulate an immunological network with pro-tumorigenic activity comprising AREG, type 2 innate lymphoid cells and regulatory T cells that might constitute a promising target for novel cancer immunotherapies.