It was discovered that by activating the PI3K/AKT axis, sCLU could significantly promote the transcription of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), a protein related to lipid metabolism, and inhibit the expression of E-calmodulin, thereby inducing tumor invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma, suggesting that CLU may influence tumour invasion and migration by affecting the pathway of lipid transport (Zhong et al., 2018). Here, CLU is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.