Herein, TALENs-mediated editing of the human genomic Nrf1 sequence has been carried out insofar as to create knockout of full-length Nrf1α-specific isoform, rather than other smaller LCR-F1/Nrf1β, Nrf1γ and Nrf1δ forms, in the hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells, followed by establishment of a stable monoclonal cell line with the homozygous Nrf1α−/− deletion mutations. Here, NRF1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.