The CTLs, at the time of adoptive transfer, expressed nearly no PD-1 or TIGIT but high level of LAG-3 (Fig. 6c) and then expressed higher levels of PD-1 and TIGIT when entering HCC TME (Fig. 6c-d, see Additional file 6: Figure S5A-C). This evidence concerns the gene LAG3 and hepatocellular carcinoma.