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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Dec 1.
Published in final edited form as: Gastroenterology. 2014 Aug 30;147(6):1393–1404. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2014.08.039

Figure 5. Tocilizumab (IL-6 receptor blockade) disrupts TAM-enhanced CSC expansion in HCC.

Figure 5

(A) Tocilizumab (5 μg/ml) inhibits TAM-induced CD44+ HepG2 cell expansion following three day co-culture with TAMs. CD44+ determined by FACS (n=5).

(B) Tocilizumab inhibits TAM-induced HepG2 POU5F1 gene expression as determined by qRT-PCR following co-culture as in (A) (n=5).

(C) TAM-induced sphere-forming capability is inhibited by Tocilizumab. Co-cultures performed as in (A) with HepG2 cells then undergoing sphere assay (n=8, representative photomicrographs 10x magnification).

(D) Western blot of HepG2 cells for phosphorylated STAT3 shows reduction by Tocilizumab (5 μg/mL) after co-culture with TAMS. One of three independent experiments is shown.

*p < 0.05. Data presented as mean±SEM.