Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40717222›Full record

ArticleJournal of cellular and molecular medicine2025

HBx Drives Liver Cancer Stem Cell Generation Through Stimulating Glucose Metabolic Reprogramming.

Jinchen Liu, Xueqin Wu, Qiushi Yin, Luying Zhang, Kun Liu, Kailin Huang, Junnv Xu, Xiaowei Li, Bo Lin, Mingyue Zhu and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cellular and molecular medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Jinchen LiuKey Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine, Ministry of Education, and Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan Province, PR China.
Xueqin WuKey Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine, Ministry of Education, and Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan Province, PR China.
Qiushi YinKey Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine, Ministry of Education, and Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan Province, PR China.
Luying ZhangKey Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine, Ministry of Education, and Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan Province, PR China.
Kun LiuKey Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine, Ministry of Education, and Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan Province, PR China.
Kailin HuangKey Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine, Ministry of Education, and Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan Province, PR China.
Junnv XuKey Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine, Ministry of Education, and Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan Province, PR China.
Xiaowei LiKey Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine, Ministry of Education, and Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan Province, PR China.
Bo LinKey Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine, Ministry of Education, and Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan Province, PR China.ORCID 0000-0003-1608-4109
Mingyue ZhuKey Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine, Ministry of Education, and Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan Province, PR China.
Mengsen LiKey Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine, Ministry of Education, and Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan Province, PR China.ORCID 0000-0003-2512-0386

Funding

Hainan Province Science and Technology Special Foundation ZDYF2021SHFZ222Hainan Provincial Graduate Student Innovative Research Project Qhys2024-440National Natural Science Foundation of China 81960519National Natural Science Foundation of China 82060514National Natural Science Foundation of China 82460602Natural Science Foundation of Hainan Province 2019CXTD406Natural Science Foundation of Hainan Province 822RC700Natural Science Foundation of Hainan Province 824RC517Research Project of Take off the Proclamation and Leadership of the Hainan Medical University Natural Science Foundation JBGS202106
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is closely related to the infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV). The HBV x protein (HBx) plays a key role in promoting the malignant transformation of hepatocytes and cancer heterogeneity, but the role of HBx in metabolism influencing the generation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) is still unclear. This study explores HBx-induced glucose metabolic reprogramming of HCC cells to promote the generation of CSCs. Immunohistochemical analysis of the expression of glucose metabolic reprogramming-related enzymes and stemness markers in HCC tissues and corresponding paracancer tissues of 30 patients; Western blotting, laser confocal microscopy, and metabolism-detection kits were applied to analyse the expression of glucose metabolism-related enzymes and cancer stemness markers and glucose metabolic products; the generation of CSCs was observed by stem cell pellet and soft agar colony formation experiments. Results indicated that the expression of PKM2, HK2, LDHA, CSC-related proteins, and CD133 and CD44 in HCC tissues was significantly higher than that in the corresponding paracancerous tissues. HBx stimulated the expression of the key enzyme of the Warburg effect and CSC-related proteins, and these proteins were significantly reduced after interference with the expression of the PKM2 protein. PKM2 and OCT4 interact in HCC cells, and PKM2 has a regulatory effect on OCT4 function. This study found that HBx stimulated the Warburg effect and induced HCC stemness reprogramming by activating the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway; PKM2 played a key role in promoting the initiation of HCC stem cells. Targeting HBx and PKM2 is a new strategy for the treatment of HCC.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularCellular ReprogrammingGlucoseLiver NeoplasmsNeoplastic Stem CellsTrans-ActivatorsCell Line, TumorHepatitis B virusHumansMaleMetabolic ReprogrammingSignal TransductionViral Regulatory and Accessory ProteinsGlucosehepatitis B virus X proteinTrans-ActivatorsViral Regulatory and Accessory Proteinscancer stem cellsglucose metabolism reprogrammingHBxhepatocellular carcinomaWarburg effect

Identifiers

PMID40717222
PMCPMC12301164

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.