Considering the evidence provided by the present study on the altered expression of TERRA, TERC and TERT mRNA in HCC tissues and on the detection of TERRA and TERC in the plasma of HCC patients, we aimed to explore the cellular and extracellular expression of these transcripts in human HCC cell lines in order to gain mechanistic insights on the function of TERRA in HCC. The gene discussed is TERC; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.