Objective To investigate the expression of engulfment and cell motility protein 1 (ELMO1) in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) and its effects on cell migration.Methods The expression of ELMO1 in HCC cell lines and HCC tissues was assessed by Western blot.We used transient transfection with an ELMO1 expressing vector to over-express ELMO1 protein in SK-HEP-1 cells.Over-expression of ELMO1 was confirmed by Western blot.siRNAs specific to ELMO1 (ELMO1 siRNA) were used to knockdown ELMO1 expression.Rho Family Small GTPase Activation Assay, Western blots, transwell assay were used to determine the migration potential of cells.Student's test was employed for statistical analysis.Results The expression of ELMO1 protein was obviously up-regulated in HCC tissues and cell lines (P<0.05).Over-expression of ELMO1 promoted cell migration in SK-HEP-1 cells, while knock-down of ELMO1 showed the opposite effect.Conclusion ELMO1 up-regulation significantly correlates with cell migration in hepatocellular carcinoma.