Impairment or suppression of SPTBN1 in liver tissues of Sptbn1+/- mice and HCC cells promotes the expression of oncoproteins including cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (Cdk4), c-Myc, MDM2, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and vimentin as well as stem cell markers such as EpCAM, Claudin7 and Oct4, and enhances oncogenic potential as characterized by increased anchorage-independent cell growth and xenograft tumor development, suggesting that SPTBN1 is a prominent suppressor of tumorigenesis 6-10. The gene discussed is CDK4; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.