PMEPA1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: The prostate transmembrane protein, androgen induced 1 (PMEPA1), is another important target gene of TGF-β signaling and highly expressed in many types of cancers including colon, breast, lung and prostate cancer,24, 28, 29, 30 whereas reports about the expression of PMEPA1 in HCC patients are lacking.