ATF4 and liver cancer: Additionally, Lin et al. had found that cAMP-response element-binding protein 2 (CREB-2) and ATF3 have an oncogenic role as transcriptional activators of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in liver cancer formation when spectrin beta, non-erythrocytic 1 (SPTBN1), and/or SMAD3 fail to function (118).