(Techasen et al., 2012; Chen et al., 2019b) Interestingly, TAM-derived TNF-α was also suggested to be involved in EMT-independent mechanisms for metastasis, characterized by CXCR4-overexpressing endothelial cells evident in murine and human HCC termed “vessels that encapsulate tumor clusters” (VETC). This evidence concerns the gene CXCR4 and hepatocellular carcinoma.