COL1A1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: The present study provides preclinical evidence indicating that COL1A1 is a reliable biomarker and putative therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinogenesis and metastasis by demonstrating that (i) COL1A1 is highly expressed in HCC and confers significant survival disadvantage, and that (ii) upregulated COL1A1 expression at both mRNA and protein levels strongly correlates with disease progression.