We approached this from two angles: first, we reproduced the selective pressure by IFN-β in vitro and assessed whether IFN-resistance emerges over time; and second, we tested ten different tumour cell lines from hepatocellular carcinomas of different stages with regard to their insensitivity towards the antiproliferative effects of IFN-β. Here, IFNA1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.