It had been reported that MLN4924, a NAE1 inhibitor, induced autophagy and apoptosis to suppress liver cancer cell growth.23 In this study, we found that NEDD8 (represents global‐protein neddylation) and NAE1 were upregulated in HCC, that the upregulation of NEDD8 and NAE1 were associated with aggressive clinicopathological characteristics and poorer prognosis, and that the expression of NEDD8 and NAE1 in HCC was positively correlated. Here, NAE1 is linked to liver cancer.