Upregulated expression of SAE1 (SUMO-activating enzyme subunit 1), an essential heterodimeric SUMO-activating effector of SUMOylation, has been implicated in the tumorigenesis and progression of several human malignancies, including in glioma [11], gastric cancer [12] and, more broadly, in Myc-driven carcinomas [13,14]; however, the biological roles of SAE1 in HCC remains underexplored. Here, SAE1 is linked to carcinoma.