AKR1B10 and hepatocellular carcinoma: While AKR1B10 knockdown in HepG2 cells reduced AKR1B10 secretion, blocking of secreted AKR1B10 with an antibody did not affect the increase in QSG-7701 cell proliferation produced by co-culture of the two cell types, indicating the presence of a downstream signaling molecule mediated by cellular AKR1B10 in hepatoma cells.