Fig. 4. Key cellular components (upper part) and physical influences (lower part) in the liver tumour microenvironment that support stemness gene expression and tumour initiation.

Cellular components include CAFs, TAMs, T cells, B cells and the respective secreted cytokines and factors. The physical components consist of ECM and the hypoxic environment. All of these play roles in promoting stemness gene expression to drive the tumour-initiation activity of LCSCs.