MIF and hepatocellular carcinoma: NK cells mainly communicated with other cells through MIF-mediated signaling pathway.<h4>Conclusion</h4>In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the high expression of the SSR2 gene in NK cells is accompanied by enhanced cytoplasmic translation pathway, which promotes MIF secretion and activates its downstream signaling pathways, thereby driving the disruption of the tumor immune microenvironment and the progression of the disease.