PD-1 blockade unleashes local hepatitis B virus-related B cell response inhibiting hepatocellular carcinoma

Anti-PD-1 perioperative therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma induces local HBV-targeted antibody responses from tumor-infiltrating B cells, driving complement-mediated anti-tumor activity. Chen et al. identified two distinct subtypes of late-recurrence patients — one dominated by T cell and the other by B cell responses within tumors. Using single-cell spatial transcriptomics and antibody cloning, the study reveals a previously unrecognized mechanism by which checkpoint blockade co-opts virus-specific humoral immunity against HBV-related liver cancer.