Wang et al18 cocultured HSCs with HCC cells and revealed that sulfatase 2 secreted by HCC cells promoted HSC-CAF differentiation, which was associated with the upregulation of the CAF markers tenascin-C and stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF1) and promoted epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HCC cells, and eventually led to HCC development. The gene discussed is TNC; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.