Global lactylome profiling conducted on a prospectively collected hepatitis B virus-related HCC cohort has revealed that adenylate kinase 2 lactylation at lysine 28 (K28) in HCC cases markedly impairs adenylate kinase 2 activity and function, dampens apoptotic signaling, and accordingly, stimulates HCC proliferation and migration, correlating with poor patient prognosis (122). The gene discussed is AK2; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.