TNF and hepatocellular carcinoma: Following a study [41] reporting that tumor necrosis factor-alpha induces EMT in retinal pigment epithelial cells through activating TGF-beta signaling in a manner that depends on the hyaluronan-CD44-moesin interaction, Mima et al [42] demonstrated that CD44 plays a critical role in the TGF-beta mediated EMT in HCC.