Acyl-coenzyme A thioesterase 9 (ACOT9), a pivotal gatekeeper of intracellular fatty acid flux, cleaves acyl-CoA thioesters to liberate free fatty acids and coenzyme A. ACOT9 drives hepatocellular carcinoma progression by reprogramming lipid metabolism, emerging as a promising therapeutic target in HCC [32]. Here, ACOT9 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.