HMGB1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: As shown in Figure 5a, transfection with HMGB1 overexpression plasmid in Huh7 and Hep3B cells to increase the HMGB1 protein levels sufficiently reversed circMMP11 siRNA-induced inhibition of malignant characteristics of HCC cells (Figure 5b–d) and the levels of PCNA and MMP-2 (Figure 5e).