2020-08-012024-05-14https://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/660919Natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in the innate immune system. The liver contains a large number of NK cells that can monitor and clear abnormal cells, including tumor cells or virus-infected cells. Chronic viral hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are important medical problems in Taiwan. There is still no effective treatment to cure chronic hepatitis B and advanced HCC. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical significance of NK cells receptors and ligands in HCC tumor microenvironment using novel mass cytometry or CyTOF (CYtology Time Of Flight) and multiplex tissue imaging by CODEX (CO-Detection by indEXing). This study will be divided into the following parts: Using the multiplex tissue imaging of HCC tumor tissues and the analysis of tumor-dissociated cells by CyTOF to investigate the clinical characteristics and clinical significance of NK cell receptors and ligands in the tumor microenvironment of HCC. To use cell co-culture models to explore the relationship between tumoral NK ligand phenotypic heterogeneity and NK antitumor activity. To collect and compare the NK cell subtypes in the liver and peripheral blood of patients with HCC, and further investigate the liver resident memory NK cells. It is hoped that this research project will enable us to understand the clinical significance of NK cell receptors and ligands and the potential to eradicate HCC cells.Natural killer cellsinnate immune systemlivertumorviruschronic viralhepatitisliver cancerhepatocellular carcinomahepatitis Bhepatitis Cmass cytometryCyTOFmultiplex fluorescent imagingCODEXtumor microenvironmentperipheral blood mononuclear cellsreceptorligandmemory natural killer cellimmunotherapy