Ribonuclease 7-driven activation of ROS1 is a potential therapeutic target in hepatocellular carcinoma

•High RNase7 levels are positively correlated with poor prognosis in patients with HCC.•RNase7 acts as a ligand by binding and interacting with its receptor ROS1.•RNase7-mediated ROS1 activation triggers oncogenic transformation.•High plasma RNase7 levels can be used to stratify patients who will benefit from anti-ROS1 inhibitors.