In our study, luciferase activity reporter assay confirmed that MAPKAPK5-AS1 could directly bind with miR-429 and negatively modulate the expression of miR-429, and inhibition of miR-429 could partially counteract the effects of MAPKAPK5-AS1 knockdown on the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells. The gene discussed is MAPKAPK5; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.