In individuals with HCC associated with ALD, focal progenitor cell/stem cell formation occurs both in portions of the liver that show cirrhosis and in the HCC cells as indicated by the expression of certain proteins (i.e., Nanog, Yapi-1, Igf2bp, and Sox2) (see figure 4 A, B, C,). Here, NANOG is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.