A recent study showed that acylcarnitine profiles can be used as biomarkers for obesity-driven HCC, pinpointed a serum metabolite, oleoylcarnitine (C18:1 carnitine), which was found in this study, as one of the biomarkers for NAFLD and HCC, and revealed the mechanism of actions of oleoylcarnitine through STAT3 pathway activation31. This evidence concerns the gene STAT3 and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.