In summary, we determined the high expression of BAP31, ELAVL1 and SPINK6 in HCC tissues, knockdown of BAP31, ELAVL1 or SPINK6 recovered the cell polarity and inhibited the invasion and migration in HCC cells, and suppressed the tumor formation and lung metastasis in mice models. Here, ELAVL1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.