Tumor-associated macrophages promote human hepatoma Huh-7 cell migration and invasion through the Gli2/IGF-II/ERK1/2 axis by secreting TGF-β1.

Aim: In this study, we explored the ability of TAMs to affect the malignant phenotype of human hepatoma Huh-7 cells through the Gli2/IGF-II/ERK1/2 pathway.

Methods: The TAMs were characterized by flow cytometry and ELISA assays. Huh-7 cells were treated with conditioned medium of TAMs (TAMs-CM), and the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities were measured by CCK-8, Transwell and scratch assays.

Interferon-α inhibits cell migration and invasion and induces the expression of antiviral proteins in Huh-7 cells transfected with hepatitis B virus X gene-expressing lentivirus.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein (HBx) serves an important role in HBV infection and the development of HBV-related liver cancer. Interferon-α (IFN-α) is used to treat patients with HBV; however, the role of IFN-α in the development of HBV-related liver cancer remains unclear. The present study established a new HBV-related liver cancer model (Huh-7-HBx) by transfecting the hepatoma cell line Huh-7, with HBx-expressing lentivirus.