TNF and cancer: Third, by RT-qPCR analyses, TANs showed downregulation of anti-tumor genes (e.g., il4, il6, il8, il10, il12, and tnfa) and upregulation of pro-tumor genes such as il1b, which also promotes early cancer angiogenesis [35], indicating a potential role of TANs in pro-angiogenesis in HCC initiation.