ObjectiveTo know the background of human gene therapy and the advances in gene therapy study of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MethodsThe related literatures were reviewed. ResultsAs a substitute measure gene therapy was of great superiority and had got a good result in the clinical study of treatment of human genetic diseases. But it was mainly limited to the study of preclinical phase when it was used to the treatment of tumor. As a carrier of gene transfer， the newly modified retrovirus might have superiority in the study of gene therapy of HCC when compared with other viruses such as adenovirus and adenoassociated virus (AAV). The genes TK,p53 and p16 etc. had been used to the study of therapy of HCC and had some good results.ConclusionThe future of human gene therapy is optimistic, but there is a long way to go when gene therapy is widely used in the clinical study of treatment of HCC.