FGL1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Fibrinogen-like protein 1 (FGL1), also known as hepatocyte-derived fibrinogen-related protein 1 (HFREP1) or Hepassocin (HPS), is a hepatocyte secreted protein that was initially cloned from liver tissue and has been demonstrated to be over-expressed in human hepatocellular carcinoma (1–3).