At last, we established an HCC xenograft model using nude mice to verify our data in vivo, and found that Hep3B cells overexpressing Linc‐smad7 led to markedly larger tumours (Lv‐Linc‐smad7 group) than control vector cells (Lv‐control group) (p < 0.05, Figure 7D and E). This evidence concerns the gene SMAD7 and neoplasm.