BAX and hepatocellular carcinoma: Furthermore, Gli1 can increase B‐cell lymphoma‐2 (Bcl‐2) expression and down‐regulate Bcl‐2‐Associated X Protein (BAX) while the forced expression of PCAF reduces Bcl‐2 expression, up‐regulates BAX and represses cell apoptosis.123 PCAF induces cell apoptosis by acetylating Gli1 and modulating a GLI1/Bcl‐2/BAX axis, which in turn suppresses HCC progression (Figure 4B).