The establishment of PDX xenograft models in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may depend on mouse liver injury. Inducing chronic liver injury in immunodeficient Fah−/− mice through cycling off nitisinone after HCC biopsy implantation, helped produce PDX with 57% efficiency as determined by rising human alpha1‐antitrypsin (hAAT) serum levels. This evidence concerns the gene SERPINA1 and hepatocellular carcinoma.