ST18 and hepatocellular carcinoma: ► L1 retrotransposons promote tumorigenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ► Germline L1 and Alu insertions in MCC activate β-catenin/Wnt signaling ► L1 mobilization in tumor cells accelerates transformation of the HCC genome ► A tumor-specific L1 insertion interrupts a negative feedback loop regulating ST18