Luciferase reporter assays showed that overexpression of miR-346 and/or miR-874-3p repressed the luciferase activity in HCC cells transfected with the wildtype ATG16L1 3’-UTR reporter plasmid, whereas no obvious inhibition was observed in cells transfected with the corresponding mutant reporter plasmid (Fig. 5E). This evidence concerns the gene ATG16L1 and hepatocellular carcinoma.