Upregulation of glucose transporter proteins including GLUT-1, 2, and 4 (106) and increased expression of hexokinase 2 (107), fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase-3 (108), and pyruvate kinase (109) in HSCs also indicate that the HCC environment may educate HSCs toward abnormal glucose metabolism. This evidence concerns the gene HK2 and hepatocellular carcinoma.