HAVCR2 and hepatocellular carcinoma: (3) regulating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition by reducing E-cadherin and upregulating N-cadherin expression, which increases HCC cell migration and invasion rates [46], (4) by autocrine signaling mediated through TIM-3 binding ligands, including Gal-9, thereby enabling these cells to avoid recognition and clearance by immune cells to sustain their survival and self-renewal [102–106].