Evidence mapPaperPMID 41803605Full record

ReviewHepatology international2026

mRNA vaccines for hepatocellular carcinoma: mechanisms, therapeutic strategies, and clinical perspectives.

Zixin Teng, Xiaobing Cui, Chengwei He

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Hepatology international, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Zixin TengState Key Laboratory of Mechanism and Quality of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macao SAR, China.
Xiaobing CuiState Key Laboratory of Mechanism and Quality of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macao SAR, China.
Chengwei HeState Key Laboratory of Mechanism and Quality of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macao SAR, China. chengweihe@um.edu.mo.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4701-2984

Funding

Fundo para o Desenvolvimento das Ciências e da Tecnologia 0002/2025/NRPFundo para o Desenvolvimento das Ciências e da Tecnologia 0014/2023/AKPFundo para o Desenvolvimento das Ciências e da Tecnologia 0077/2024/AGJ
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major global health challenge, characterized by late diagnosis, high recurrence, and limited treatment options for advanced stages. Current therapies face limitations such as toxicity, drug resistance, and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. mRNA vaccines represent a promising therapeutic strategy due to their ability to encode tumor-specific antigens and stimulate robust, targeted immune responses.

methodsThis review investigates the potential of mRNA vaccines as a therapeutic strategy for HCC. A systematic search was conducted on Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases from 2005 to 2025 to identify studies on mechanisms, therapeutic strategies, and clinical perspectives of mRNA vaccines in HCC therapy. Keywords, such as "Hepatocellular carcinoma", "mRNA vaccine", "Tumor-specific antigen", "Clinical trials", were used to search the databases.

resultsmRNA vaccines for HCC demonstrate potential in preclinical models by inducing antigen-specific T-cell responses and reshaping the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Strategies such as targeting neoantigens from aberrant splicing or non-canonical open reading frames expand the antigen repertoire. Combining mRNA vaccines with immune checkpoint inhibitors shows synergistic efficacy. However, clinical translation faces hurdles, including antigen scarcity due to low tumor mutational burden, suboptimal delivery efficiency, and the complex immunosuppressive landscape of HCC.

conclusionmRNA vaccines offer a transformative modality for HCC treatment. Realizing their full potential requires a multi-faceted approach: expanding the antigen repertoire beyond traditional mutations, developing optimized and targeted delivery systems, and employing rational combination therapies. Future biomarker-driven clinical trials are essential to establish efficacy and integrate these strategies into the HCC treatment paradigm.

Indexed as

Cancer VaccinesCarcinoma, HepatocellularLiver NeoplasmsmRNA VaccinesAnimalsAntigens, NeoplasmHumansImmunotherapyTumor MicroenvironmentAntigens, NeoplasmCancer VaccinesmRNA VaccinesClinical trialCombination therapyHepatocellular carcinomaImmune checkpoint inhibitorImmunotherapyLipid nanoparticlemRNA vaccineNeoantigenTumor microenvironmentTumor-specific antigen

Identifiers

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.