This assumption is also supported by further molecular pathology of the human HCC, revealing a marked decrease or abolishment in the constitutive expression of Nrf1 mRNA and particularly Nrf1α (and/or its derivatives of between 140-kDa and 100-kDa), but not Nrf1β/γ, proteins examined in the carcinoma tissues and relevant cell lines. The gene discussed is NRF1; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.