The results demonstrated that cSMARCA5 might function as a tumor suppressor via DHX9-cSMARCA5-miR-17-3p/miR-181b-5p-TIMP3 axis pathway to inhibit the growth and metastasis of HCC; while its parental gene SMARCA5 may be a tumor promoter (95), which hinted that SMARCA5 and cSMARCA5 levels could act together as a biomarker for HCC. Here, TIMP3 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.