PD-1-targeted immunotherapy in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis-induced liver cancer induces a pro-tumorigenic environment through CD8+ PD1+ T-cells.​​. CD8+ PD1+ T-cells drive liver cancer in NASH

Mice with advanced non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NASH) by dietary feeding regime of choline deficient high fat diet (CD-HFD) were treated with antibodies (a-CD8 depletion; a-PD1 checkpoint inhibition; Co-depletion by a-CD8 and a-NK1.1 administration) for 8 weeks. Surprisingly, a-CD8 depletion prevented hepatocarcinogenesis; in contrast a-PD1 checkpoint inhibition induced hepatocarcinogenesis. By RNA-Seq of liver tissue, we want to investigate changes on RNA level induced by the different treatment regimes in the background of advanced NASH and hepatocarcinogenesis.