HIF1A and hepatocellular carcinoma: To investigate the role of the RPLP2-HIF-1α axis in HCC development, we subcutaneously injected Hep3B cells transfected with control-sh, HIF-1α-OE, RPLP2-sh and RPLP2-sh + HIF-1α-OE into each group of BALB/c nude mice.