We demonstrated for the first time the aberrant expression of cancer-related genes (ALCAM, ITGA6, DDIT3, MAP3K6 and PAK1) and metabolism-related genes (ALDH18A1, CAD, CHKA, POLD4, PSPH, SQLE and CFD) in human NASH-HCCs. Here, PAK1 is linked to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.