In our study, we define caveolin-1 as a non-target of TGF-β in untransformed hepatocytes, whereas in early transformed (differentiated HCC) cancer cell lines, TGF-β is mediating enhanced expression of caveolin-1 and therewith may promote tumor proliferation and migration/invasion, functions that have been attributed to caveolin-1. This evidence concerns the gene CAV1 and neoplasm.