The study of this protein also showed that INF-α induced TMEM7 mRNA expression and the restoration of its expression by overexpression or by induction with IFN-α decreased the proliferation and the invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines (SNU398 and PLC/PRF/5 or HLF and MHCC97 respectively). This evidence concerns the gene IFNA17 and hepatocellular carcinoma.