Sains Malaysiana 54(12)(2025): 2917-2924

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2025-5412-10

 

Mechanistic Study of PD-1 Inhibitors in the Immune Microenvironment of Liver Metastases: A Comprehensive Analysis Based on Radiomics

(Kajian Mekanistik Perencat PD-1 dalam Persekitaran Mikro Imun Metastasis Hati: Analisis Komprehensif Berdasarkan Radiomik)

 

XIANG ZHUANG^1,†, HUI ZHANG^1,†, PING CHEN¹, XIAOLING TIAN², XINYI ZHANG³, GE SONG², YUBO LIU², YUNQI HUA³ & ZHENFENG WANG^4,*

 

¹Department of Radiographic Imaging, Baotou Cancer Hospital, Baotou 014030, Inner Mongolia, P.R. China

²Department of Graduate School, Baotou Medical College, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 014040, Inner Mongolia, P.R. China

³Department of Medical Oncology, Baotou Cancer Hospital, Baotou 014030, Inner Mongolia, P.R. China

⁴Department of Radiographic Imaging, Baotou Mengzhong Hospital, Baotou 014040, Inner Mongolia, P.R. China

 

Received: 17 March 2025/Accepted: 3 December 2025

 

†These authors contributed equally to this work

 

Abstract

Liver metastases are a common and clinically challenging type of tumor. Their poor prognosis has prompted researchers to seek new treatments. The immune microenvironment of liver metastases is complex and critical. It involves interactions among various immune cells, cytokines, and signaling pathways that influence tumor growth, metastasis, and treatment efficacy. In recent years, PD-1 inhibitors have emerged as a major breakthrough in immunotherapy, showing promise in treating liver metastases. However, accurately predicting patient responses to PD-1 inhibition remains a pressing challenge. Radiomics is a non-invasive tool that analyzes features from medical images to show how tumor biology affects treatment responses. This article reviews the features of the immune microenvironment in liver metastases, how PD-1 inhibitors work, and the advancements in radiomics for predicting treatment responses in liver metastases. It aims to offer useful insights for clinical practice and point out future research directions to further improve treatment outcomes and accurate treatment evaluations for patients with liver metastases.

Keywords: Immune microenvironment; liver metastases; PD-1 inhibitors; radiomics

 

Abstrak

Metastasis hati merupakan sejenis tumor yang biasa dan mencabar secara klinikal. Prognosisnya yang buruk telah mendorong para penyelidik untuk mencari rawatan baharu. Persekitaran mikro imun metastasis hati adalah kompleks dan kritikal. Ia melibatkan interaksi antara pelbagai sel imun, sitokin dan laluan isyarat yang mempengaruhi pertumbuhan tumor, metastasis dan keberkesanan rawatan. Dalam beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini, perencat PD-1 telah muncul sebagai satu kejayaan besar dalam imunoterapi, menunjukkan potensi dalam merawat metastasis hati. Walau bagaimanapun, meramalkan tindak balas pesakit dengan tepat terhadap perencatan PD-1 masih menjadi cabaran. Radiomik ialah alat bukan invasif yang menganalisis ciri daripada imej perubatan untuk menunjukkan bagaimana biologi tumor mempengaruhi tindak balas rawatan. Kertas ini mengulas ciri persekitaran mikro imun dalam metastasis hati, bagaimana perencat PD-1 berfungsi dan kemajuan dalam radiomik untuk meramalkan tindak balas rawatan dalam metastasis hati. Ia bertujuan untuk menawarkan pandangan berguna untuk amalan klinikal dan menunjukkan hala tuju penyelidikan masa depan untuk meningkatkan lagi hasil rawatan dan penilaian rawatan yang tepat untuk pesakit dengan metastasis hati.

Kata kunci: Metastasis hati; perencat PD-1; persekitaran mikro imun; radiomik

 

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*Corresponding author; email: wangzhenfeng163@126.com