Subsequently, a target protein connected to CHI3L1 in liver cancer was discovered using STRING analysis, which revealed that the following proteins were linked to CHI3L1 in liver cancer: VEGFA, IL-13Rα2, TGF-β1, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, IL-6, cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14), S100 Calcium Binding Protein A6 (S100A6), and S100A4 (Fig. 4b upper panel). This evidence concerns the gene MMP9 and liver cancer.