Moreover, we treated CASZ1-interfered HCC cells with U0126, a highly selective MEK inhibitor, and found that U0126 could obviously attenuated the promoting effect of low CASZ1 on the levels of p-ERK, MMP2, MMP9 and cyclinD1 in HCCLM3Control and PLC/PRF/5shCASZ1 cells (Fig. 5c). This evidence concerns the gene MMP9 and hepatocellular carcinoma.