In supporting to this finding, silencing of ErbB3 reduced Akt activity and enhanced the lapatinib-induced Caspase3 cleavage in Hep3Bx cells (Figure 4E), indicating the dominance of the pro-survival and anti-apoptotic signaling by HBx-induced ErbB3 in HCC cells. Here, ERBB3 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.