Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 was reported to be overexpressed in HCC,27 and its knockdown in HCC cells suppressed sphere formation, tumorigenicity and protein expression of CD24 and CD47, which were enriched in TICs to promote cancer stemness features such as sphere formation and tumorigenicity,28 and chemoresistance to doxorubicin and sorafenib.27 Here, CD24 is linked to cancer.