SLC22A5 and cancer: Mechanistically, the upregulation of OCTN2 promotes the proliferation and migration of HCC cells in vitro and augments the growth and metastasis of HCC, as well as the cancer stem-like properties of HCC by increasing FAO and OXPHOS, which depends on PGC-1α signaling.294 When glucose deprivation occurs, sestrin2, a conserved antioxidant and metabolism regulator, stimulates a decrement in intracellular glutamine and PGC-1α levels, leading to a decline in cell survival.