TY - EJOU AU - Xu, Qiaodong AU - Gu, Songgang AU - Liang, Jiahong AU - Lin, Zhihua AU - Zheng, Shaodong AU - Yan, Jiang TI - The Biological Function of Hepatitis B Virus X Protein in Hepatocellular Carcinoma T2 - Oncology Research PY - 2019 VL - 27 IS - 4 SN - 1555-3906 AB - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the major malignant tumors that lead to death. Chronic hepatitis B virus infection is an important risk factor for HCC initiation. HBx protein, encoded by the HBV X gene, is a significant factor that promotes HBV-related HCC, although the exact molecular mechanism remains unclear. This article summarizes the pathological roles and related mechanisms of HBx in HCC. HBx plays a carcinogenic role by promoting cell proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis and inhibiting apoptosis in HCC. A detailed study of the biological functions of HBx will help to elucidate the mechanism of hepatocarcinogenesis and lead to the development of novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of HBV-related HCC. KW - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); Hepatitis B virus (HBV); Carcinogenic mechanism; Hepatitis B virus X (HBx) protein DO - 10.3727/096504018X15278771272963