To verify the in vitro results, we established xenograft tumor models by subcutaneous injection of HCC cells transfected with an empty vector, an shRNA lentiviral plasmid targeting circFOXK2 (sh-circFOXK2), and sh-circFOXK2 + a FOXK2-142aa overexpression plasmid (Fig. 5A and B). Here, FOXK2 is linked to neoplasm.