Stemness CD24 activation promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via an immune escape mechanism

Figure 4 Mechanism through which clusters of differentiation 24 promotes hepatocarcinogenesis. Chronic liver diseases involve a small subpopulation of cells called liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs), which are key drivers of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) formation or progression. Clusters of differentiation (CD) 24, like other HCC biomarkers, is involved in HCC progression, with abnormal expression at the protein or mRNA level, and provides a concise overview of the molecular pathogenesis of the HCC sequence. CD24 might be an important progenitor in hepatocarcinogenesis in the immune escape microenvironment. HBV: Hepatitis B virus; NF-κB: Nuclear factor kappa-B; TGF-β1: Transforming growth factor β1; PD-1: Programmed cell death 1; PD-L1: Programmed cell death ligand 1; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; ALP: Alkaline phosphatase; GGT: Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase; CD: Clusters of differentiation; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein.