CD44 and hepatocellular carcinoma: HCC stem cells were successfully isolated from Huh7 and Hep3B cells and assigned to the oe-NC, oe-HOXA11-AS + oe-NC, oe-HOXA11-AS + oe-HOXA11, oe-HOXA11-AS + PBS, and oe-HOXA11-AS + DDK1 groups, and the expression levels of HOXA11, CDl33, CD44, Nanog, Sox2, and Oct4 in HCC stem cells after transfection were evaluated by RT-qPCR and western blot analyses.