ZMAT3 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Our results reveal alterations in several cancer-related pathways as well as key hub genes, including EIF4E, GSK3β, CCNA2, H2AFX, TGFBR1, CREB1, TGFBR1, THOC2, ZMAT3, and STAG2, potentially critical in early HCC transformation and progression.