In previous studies, MCM3 was shown to act as a proliferation marker and regulate programmed cell death in tumour cells, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, tubo-ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma, oral squamous cell carcinoma, odontogenic cysts and ameloblastoma (Valverde et al., 2018; Jaafari-Ashkavandi et al., 2019). Here, MCM3 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.