Chronic inflammation promotes an immunosuppressive environment in HCC via multiple mechanisms such as the over-representation of immunosuppressive cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-8, and IL-10), promoting M2 macrophage differentiation, the upregulation of inhibitory and downregulation of co-stimulatory signaling by antigen-presenting cells and T cells, and the recruitment of immunosuppressive cell types such as Tregs and MDSCs42,43 [Fig. 1(b)]. The gene discussed is IL10; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.