Establishment of two novel organoid lines from patients with combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract

Combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CCA) is a unique subtype of primary liver cancer displaying both hepatocytic and cholangiocytic differentiation. The development of effective treatments for cHCC-CCA remains challenging because of its high heterogeneity and lack of a suitable model system. Using a three-dimensional culture system, we successfully established two novel cHCC-CCA organoid lines from patients undergoing surgical resection for primary liver cancer. cHCC-CCA organoid lines were authenticated by fingerprint analysis, and their morphology, growth kinetics, and anchorage-independent growth were also characterized. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemical analysis showed that the cHCC-CCA organoids preserved the growth pattern, differentiation grade, and phenotypic characteristics of their parental tumors. Whole-exome sequencing demonstrated that patient-derived cHCC-CCA organoid lines retained the genetic alterations identified in their original tumors. Subcutaneous tumors developed in immunodeficient mice after injection of cHCC-CCA organoids. Histologically, the xenografts recapitulated the features of the original cHCC-CCA tumors, harboring both HCC and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma components within the same tumor. The establishment of patient-derived cHCC-CCA organoid lines with high tumorigenicity provides a valuable resource for the mechanistic investigation and drug development of this disease.

Keywords: Cholangiocytic differentiation; Combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma; Hepatocytic differentiation; Patient-derived organoids; Tumorigenicity.