HMGB1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Indeed, the addition of atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1 antibody) to a peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) coculture system with HMGB1/RICTOR interference HCC cell lines (Fig. 5a) showed comparatively increased numbers of apoptotic cells (Fig. 5b), while ectopic overexpression of HMGB1/RICTOR 3′UTR impeded the response to anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy, which expressed as a decrease in the number of apoptotic cells when compared with the negative control group.