PNPLA3 and hepatocellular carcinoma: MBOAT7 was a potentially interesting target as an enzyme involved in (phospho)lipid metabolism, conceptually similar to other SNVs at GWAS significance in alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver disease, namely TM6SF2 and PNPLA3. Later studies found the variant to influence the full spectrum of fatty liver disease, from steatosis to NASH, to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and HCC.5