Other phenotypic features consistent with apoptosis observed upon overexpressing OTUD7B in HCC cells were the condensation and fragmentation of nuclear chromatin 49 as detected by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, respectively (Figure 7F-G), while examination of cleaved caspase 3 staining in HCC xenografts showed that OTUD7B overexpression also increased HCC cell apoptosis rates in vivo (Figure 7H). This evidence concerns the gene CASP3 and hepatocellular carcinoma.