CD274 and hepatocellular carcinoma: In HNSCC, PD-L1 overexpression is driven by the IFN-γ/JAK2/STAT1 signaling pathway and modulated by circ_0000052, which sponges miR-382-3p, thereby enhancing PD-L1 levels and promoting malignancy.263 Similarly, in HCC, the lncRNA NRIR is highly expressed and promotes immune escape by upregulating PD-L1 expression through the IFN-γ signaling pathway.