This effect of EGCG may be mediated by glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), as one study showed that EGCG can inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma by specifically inhibiting the expression of GRP78—a molecule upstream of IGF-1 that can downregulate IGF-1-induced activation of PI3K and MAPK signaling [125]. This evidence concerns the gene IGF1 and hepatocellular carcinoma.