The pseudokinase tribbles homolog 3 (TRIB3) has been demonstrated to promote tumorigenesis in lung cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and leukemia.100–107 Recently, our group elucidated that TRIB3 acts as an adaptor to recruit KAT5 to SMAD3, inducing phosphorylation-dependent SMAD3 K333 acetylation. Here, SMAD3 is linked to liver cancer.