Fig. 5: Communication of malignant cells and non-malignant cells are associated with patient outcome.

a Hierarchical clustering of the ligand–receptor interaction patterns of malignant cells and non-malignant cells. Each row indicates a ligand–receptor pair, with the first and the second gene representing a ligand and a receptor, respectively. Each column represents a tumor sample. The direction of an interaction is indicated by color. Purple, malignant cells provide ligands and interact with receptors from non-malignant cells in the TME; green, non-malignant cells in the TME provide ligands and interact with receptors from malignant cells. Distinct non-malignant cell types that interact with malignant cells are indicated by colors. Clusters were determined based on the hierarchical relationship. b, c Overall survival of all patients (b) or HCC patients (c) from Cluster 1 and Cluster 2 in (a). Log-rank test was preformed to show the statistical difference of the two groups. d The difference between the proportions of each ligand–receptor interaction in Cluster 1 and Cluster 2. Red, pairs enriched in Cluster 1; Blue, pairs enriched in Cluster 2. The direction of each interaction pair is indicated by color. Purple, malignant cells provide ligands and interact with receptors from non-malignant cells in the TME; green, non-malignant cells in the TME provide ligands and interact with receptors from malignant cells. The non-malignant cell types that interact with malignant cells are indicated in parentheses.