The apoptotic pathway contains 10 core genes (BAX, TP53, TP53INP1, CDKN2A, TP53BP1, CDKN1A, MDM2, CDKN1B, CCDN1 and BCL2), and these genes take part in the control of critical processes involved in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Yu et al., 2015). Here, TP53BP1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.