Other studies have shown that circWHSC1, as a sponge for miR-142-3p, directly targets HOXA1, which inhibits the polarization of TAMs, while inhibiting miR-142-3p can improve the effects of circWHSC1 gene knockdown on the proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells. This evidence concerns the gene HOXA1 and hepatocellular carcinoma.