CD274 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Glutamine-addicted HCC cells undergo apoptosis when the glutamine transporter ASCT2 is inhibited.331 A lactate-rich microenvironment, shaped by glycolytic HCC cells, activates the MCT1/NF-κB/COX2 pathway in neutrophils, increasing PD-L1 expression and suppressing T-cell cytotoxicity.332 The overexpression of soluble glypican-3 (sGPC3) in HCC inhibits tumor growth by blocking Wnt signaling and the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and Akt, thereby attenuating protumorigenic factors.333 Furthermore, the physical attributes of the ECM are linked to dormancy-activation dynamics.