HBV can enhance the expression of activating transcription factor 7 (ATF7) by downregulating miR-340-5p, which in turn interacts with heat shock protein family A member 1B (HSPA1B), promoting cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis, which in turn affects the development of liver cancer (Ghafouri-Fard et al., 2021). Here, ATF7 is linked to liver cancer.