HDGF is a member of the hepatoma-derived growth factor family. HDGF plays a role as a secreted mitogen from the human hepatoma cell line Huh-7. HDGF is a nuclear targeted vascular smooth muscle cell mitogen as well as a heparin-binding protein that is greatly expressed in tumor cells where it stimulates proliferation. HDGF has several biochemical functions, for example, DNA binding, RNA polymerase II transcription corepressor activity, growth factor activity. Some of the functions are cooperated with other proteins, some of the functions could acted by HDGF itself.