LONP1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: HBx promotes the proliferation, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, invasion, and migration of HCC cells by targeting HMGA2, a potential therapeutic target for HBV-associated HCC [47]; regulates diverse aspects of LONP1 and Parkin, enhancing mitophagy in starvation [48]; promotes HCC metastasis by remodeling the extracellular matrix modification through the HIF-1α/LOX pathway [49]; and alters the expression of long non-coding RNAs to promote the progression of HCC [7].