As a tumor inhibitor in HCC, miR 141 can suppress HCC cell growth, invasion and metastasis by directly targeting TGFβR1 (24), sperm-associated antigen 9 (25), hepatocyte nuclear factor-3β (26), T lymphoma invasion and metastasis 1 (27) and their downstream signaling cascade. This evidence concerns the gene SPAG9 and hepatocellular carcinoma.