GC Cell's Immuncell-LC shows potential to curb liver cancer recurrence after transplant

GC Cell said Friday that its immune cell therapy Immuncell-LC showed potential to suppress cancer recurrence and improve survival rates when administered to liver cancer patients at high risk of recurrence after liver transplantation.

The company presented the findings of the retrospective comparative study at the International Association of Surgeons, Gastroenterologists and Oncologists 2026 (IASGO 2026).

The study focused on liver transplant recipients who had hepatocellular carcinoma exceeding the Milan criteria, the standard threshold typically used for determining liver transplant eligibility. Researchers compared a group that received Immuncell-LC starting four weeks after transplantation with a control group that received no additional treatment. The primary endpoints were safety, 24-month recurrence-free survival and overall survival.

The two-year recurrence-free survival rate was 87.5 percent in the group treated with Immuncell-LC, compared with 62.9 percent in the control group. The overall survival rate was 100 percent in the treatment group versus 81.5 percent in the control group. No treatment-related toxicity was observed, and there was no significant difference between the two groups in survival free of acute rejection.

The findings are notable for extending the therapeutic potential of Immuncell-LC — previously studied mainly in patients who underwent liver resection or locoregional treatment — to liver transplant patients. Immuncell-LC is an immune cell therapy designed to prevent recurrence following curative treatment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, and it received domestic approval in South Korea in 2007 for use in patients who underwent liver resection or locoregional treatment.

Liver cancer patients must continue to manage recurrence risk even after receiving a liver transplant. Liver transplant recipients in particular take immunosuppressants to prevent rejection of the transplanted organ, raising concerns about weakened immune function, and treatment becomes more difficult if liver cancer recurs. This has fueled calls for long-term management strategies for transplant patients at high risk of recurrence.

"Because liver transplant patients take immunosuppressants, there are concerns about weakened immune function and organ rejection, and treatment becomes especially difficult when liver cancer recurs after transplantation," said Hong Geun, director of the transplant center at Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital. "This study is significant in that it confirmed the potential of Immuncell-LC as a treatment option for preventing recurrence in liver transplant patients at high risk of liver cancer returning."

Moon Jong-sik, head of GC Cell's oncology division, said, "This study is significant in that it expanded the clinical potential previously confirmed in liver resection and locoregional treatment patients to liver transplant patients as well. We will continue to explore the potential of Immuncell-LC as a long-term recurrence management treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma patients who remain at risk of recurrence after curative treatment."