In the training cohort (205 HCC patients at Zhongshan Hospital), we found a panel of nine genes, including Myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate like-1 (MARCKSL1), zinc finger C2HC-type containing 1A (ZC2HC1A), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 1 (PTGS1), cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 2B (CDKN2B), C-type lectin domain family 10 member A (CLEC10A), Peroxiredoxin2 (PRDX2), Protein kinase C eta (PRKCH), Macrophage expressed 1 (MPEG1), LIM domain only 2 (LMO2), which showed the strongest prognostic relevance (Fig. 2b). Here, MPEG1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.