We observed that PTEN expression was negatively regulated by miR‐188‐5p at the post‐transcriptional level, via a specific 3′ UTR target site, which supported that miR‐188‐5p expression increased during liver fibrosis, and its inhibition could play a regulatory role in the activation and proliferation of HSCs. The gene discussed is PTEN; the disease is Hepatic fibrosis.