Regulation of ERK and AKT pathways by hepatitis B virus X protein via the Notch1 pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the dominant risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HBV X protein (HBx) plays crucial roles in HCC carcinogenesis. HBx interferes with several signaling pathways including the Notch1 pathway in HCC. In this study, we found that Notch1 was highly expressed in HCC, especially in large HCCs. Notch1 and HBx co-localized in HCC and their levels were positively correlated with each other. Notch1 expression was more...