In hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HCCs), DDX17 affects the expression of target genes such as E-cadherin and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) by binding and inhibiting the transcriptional activity of Klf4, which in turn promotes tumor cell migration, invasion, and proliferation, and correlates with a poor prognosis (33). Here, MMP2 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.