Fangyuan Li1,2,#, Xiaoyuan Hu1,#, Xiaoge Gao3, Ling Liu3, Tao Li1, Dan He1, Jiaxing Cheng1, Xiaobiao Ma1, Li Li1,*, Chunlei Ge1,*, Hong Yao1,*
Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.12, pp. 4029-4048, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2025.067628
- 27 November 2025
Abstract Background: Liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) are recognized as pivotal drivers of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression; however, the molecular mechanisms maintaining their stem-like phenotype remain largely unresolved. This work investigates the role of prefoldin subunit 6-like protein (PFDN6L) in shaping LCSC traits and promoting or restraining HCC progression. Methods: PFDN6L, a cytoskeleton-associated chaperone, was studied using multiple in vitro assays—cell growth evaluation, cell cycle profiling, and spheroid culture—alongside analyses of stemness-associated markers (SOX2, CD133, CD44). Tumorigenic capacity was assessed in xenograft mouse models, and signaling pathway interrogation was performed to define underlying mechanisms. Results: In patient samples, More >