Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer in the world and the second leading cause of cancer‐related mortality in men.[1] In spite of recent progress in surgical resection/transplantation, radio‐frequent ablation, targeted drug therapy, and immunotherapy (e.g., anti‐PD‐1/PD‐L1 agents), the overall prognosis of HCC is still dismal.[1] Thus, there is a pressing need for the development of novel therapies for HCC, which depends on a better mechanistic understanding of its pathogenesis. The gene discussed is CD274; the disease is cancer.