Agents expected to enhance the self-renewal of liver cancer stem cells, EGF/FGFβ/B27 and Il-6, induced oscillations in [Ca2+]cyt in Hep12 cells, but not in Hep-11 cells, suggesting that oscillations in [Ca2+]cyt are an important characteristic of liver cancer stem cells. The gene discussed is MRAP; the disease is liver cancer.