SALL4 and liver cancer: SALL4 (sal-like 4) is a transcription factor that plays essential roles in maintaining the self-renewal and pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESCs).5, 6 Recent studies in HCC show that high expression of SALL4 is associated with aggressive behavior and poor prognosis of HCC in clinical investigations.7, 8, 9 As a stem cell biomarker in liver cancers, SALL4 regulates cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration/invasion, drug resistance, and stemness by targeting a variety of genes.