VEGFA and hepatocellular carcinoma: Additionally, mice receiving serial tumor grafts and tumors originating from higher passages exhibited increased chemotherapy resistance, as manifested by activation of the AKT/PKB and Bcl‐2 pathways.[4] Anti‐VEGF antibody (bevacizumab) plus immune checkpoint inhibitor anti‐PDL1 antibody (atezolizumab) used in a clinical trial greatly extended HCC patient survival[5] compared to almost all other HCC treatments, indicating novel combination therapies may open up the tightly packed HCC tissues to make HCCs more vulnerable to immunotherapy.