FOXP3 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Similarly, a study looking to characterize myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in patients with HCC found that they were present at significantly higher levels in the tumors and peripheral blood of HCC patients compared to healthy individuals and that upon coculture with autologous CD4+ T cells they promoted the expansion of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells and inhibited T cell proliferation and activation [25].