NRP1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Moreover, NRP1 knockdown in Huh7 cells inhibited ITGB1 from binding to Sema3C, while NRP1 still bound Sema3C after ITGB1 knockdown, indicating that NRP1 acted as a ligand-binding receptor, facilitating the formation of a complex with Sema3C and ITGB1 in HCC cells (Fig. 4c).