This observation is consistent with previous reports, which demonstrated the role of the Wnt pathway in promoting TKI resistance in liver cancer cells37–39 and enhancing FOSL2 expression in drug-resistant colorectal carcinoma cells.40 Through analysis via the JASPAR database,41 a potential binding motif for FOSL2 was predicted on the AKR1B1 promoter region: “CAGTGACTCAT” (Supplementary Fig. 36a, b). This evidence concerns the gene FOSL2 and liver cancer.