Lethal-7 is down-regulated by the hepatitis B virus x protein and targets signal transducer and activator of transcription 3

This study thus represents the first demonstration of HBx's ability to deregulate cellular miRNA expression. The deregulation of the expression of the let-7 family of miRNAs by HBx may represent a potential novel pathway through which HBx acts to deregulate cell proliferation leading to hepatocarcinogenesis.