ACVR1C and hepatocellular carcinoma: Wei Cheng and colleagues confirmed that GDF1 can inhibit the excessive proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma, but can promote its metastasis through activating the activin receptor-like kinase 7 (ALK7).[44] One research found that the epigenetic silencing of GDF1 leads to the occurrence of GC.[45] While our report verified that high GDF1 expression was significantly correlated with poor OS and DFS that it can be considered as prognostic biomarkers for GC.