CXCR4 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinase that participates in regulating diverse cellular functions, such as cell spreading, migration, proliferation, and apoptosis14 .The FAK/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway plays an important role in HCC invasion26, and KLF8 overexpression causes the CXCL12/CXCR4-dependent activation of FAK27.