IL6ST and hepatocellular carcinoma: To further confirm the therapeutic efficacy of recombinant sgp130 on HCC, we transplanted 5 × 106 HepG2 cells into NOD/SCID mice in order to test the anti-tumor effects of sgp130 in a xenograft model, that could provide a convenient way for a more dynamic observation as well as a quantitative measurement of the tumor growth.