Our findings suggest that the newly identified IGF2BP1/IGF2BP3-LINC01138-PRMT5 axis is a potential therapeutic target for HCC, and the combination of specific small molecule inhibitors for PRMT5 and LINC01138 can be used to treat HCC patients with high expression of LINC01138. Here, LINC01138 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.