Robust prognostic and predictive factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, have not yet been identified. Previous studies have identified potential HCC determinants such as genetic mutations, epigenetic alterations, and pathway dysregulation. However the clinical significance of these molecular alterations remains elusive. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are major regulators of protein expression. MiRNA functions are frequently altered in cancer. In this study, we aimed to explore the prognostic value of differentially expressed miRNAs in HCC and elucidate their associated pathways. To this aim, bioinformatics techniques and clinical dataset analyses were employed to identify differentially expressed miRNAs in HCC compared to normal hepatic tissue. We validated known associations and identified novel miRNAs with potential prognostic significance and proposed new targeting pathways based on our comprehensive analysis.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.

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