HGF and neoplasm: HGF was identified as a target of miR-26a, a small non coding RNA involved in gene regulation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): miR-26a down-regulation in HCC cells increases VEGF levels in the tumor microenvironment through the HGF/c-MET pathway, which induces the activation of VEGFR2 signaling in endothelial cells and promotes tumor angiogenesis in HCC [110].