Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41680402›Full record

ArticleIn vitro cellular & developmental biology. Animal2026

Transcription factor HOXA4 promotes HBV replication and hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation by activating KIF11 transcription.

Jinling Ma, Duodi Liao

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in In vitro cellular & developmental biology. Animal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

2 authors.

Jinling MaDepartment of Infection Diseases, The Affiliated Changsha Central Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China.
Duodi LiaoDepartment of General Practice, The Affiliated Changsha Central Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China. 2353969336@qq.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-3363-2696

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

KIF11 is a mitotic kinesin responsible for the formation and maintenance of bipolar spindles, and it has high expression in the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the role of the KIF11 gene in the hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC remains unknown. Thus, this study aims to explore the function of transcription factor HOXA4 binding to KIF11 in HBV-related HCC, with the goal of providing a novel gene therapy approach for its treatment. HBV-positive (HepG2.2.15 cells) and HBV-negative (HepG2 cells) liver cancer cells were used to investigate the expression of KIF11 and HOXA4. HepG2 cells or HepG2.2.15 cells were transfected with the pc3.1-HBx, si-KIF11, and si-HOXA4, or co-transfected with the si-HOXA4 and oe-KIF11 for subsequent analysis. The binding of HOXA4 protein to the KIF11 gene promoter was examined based on a ChIP assay. The characteristics of HepG2.2.15 cells and HepG2 cells were assessed using CCK-8 and flow cytometry. HBV transcription and replication levels were detected via Northern and Southern blotting. The secretion level of HBV antigens in the HepG2.2.15 cell supernatant was measured by ELISA. KIF11 and HOXA4 were highly expressed in the HepG2.2.15 cells. Silencing KIF11 inhibited cell viability and HBV replication and transcription, reduced HBsAg and HBeAg levels in cell supernatants, promoted apoptosis, and downregulated p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT protein expression in HepG2.2.15 cells. pc3.1-HBx promoted cell viability, inhibited apoptosis, and upregulated p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT protein expression in HepG2 cells, which was reversed by si-KIF11. ChIP assays confirmed that HOXA4 bound to the KIF11 gene promoter. Silencing HOXA4 suppressed cell viability and HBV replication and transcription, decreased HBsAg and HBeAg levels in cell supernatants, enhanced apoptosis, and downregulated p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT protein expression in HepG2.2.15 cells. Silencing HOXA4 inhibited cell viability, promoted apoptosis, and downregulated p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT protein expression in HepG2 cells with pc3.1-HBx transfection. Overexpression of KIF11 counteracted the effects of si-HOXA4 in the HepG2.2.15 cells or HepG2 cells with pc3.1-HBx transfection. In conclusion, silencing of HOXA4 inhibited HBV replication and HCC proliferation by downregulating KIF11, providing a novel gene-assisted therapeutic approach for HBV-related HCC.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularHepatitis B virusHomeodomain ProteinsKinesinsLiver NeoplasmsTranscription, GeneticVirus ReplicationApoptosisCell ProliferationGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHep G2 CellsHumansPromoter Regions, GeneticTranscription FactorsHomeodomain ProteinsHOXA4 protein, humanKinesinsTranscription FactorsHBV virusHepatocellular carcinomaHOXA4KIF11Transcription

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.