Key messages
In the study, it was found that c-Met is also abnormally highly expressed in Huh-7SR with high PD-L1 expression and can promote the development of HCC in vitro and in vivo. PD-L1 and c-Met expression levels are positively correlated. In the follow-up mechanism study, we found that c-Met activated the MAPK signaling pathway and subsequently activated the downstream NF-κBp65 transcription factor, which interacts with the proximal region of the PD-L1 promoter to promote PD-L1 expression. Our study found that c-Met regulates the transcription of PD-L1 through the MAPK/NF-κBp65 pathway, thereby promoting the progress of HCC.