VCP and hepatocellular carcinoma: Moreover, Yi et al. (2012) examined liver cancer cells (HepG2 and HuH7) and showed that sorafenib, one of the first-line therapeutic options for patients with metastatic HCC, blocks tyrosine phosphorylation of VCP/p97, disrupts the cell secretory pathway and induces ER stress and autophagy-mediated cell death [70].