MTOR and cancer: The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is frequently dysregulated in various cancer cells and abnormally activated in a proportion of HCC patients,17 which is under investigation as a potential target to suppress liver tumor growth and metastasis.18,19 We have previously demonstrated that TF/FVII/PAR2 signaling negatively regulates autophagy via mTOR activation, which promotes proliferation of Hep3B cells in vitro.