SMAD3 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Thus, induction of SMAD7 expression by activated STAT3 signaling was shown to blunt TGF-β responses,33, 34, 35 and it was recently demonstrated that STAT3 signaling is able to inhibit TGF-β antiproliferative effects by interaction with SMAD3.36 How, on the other hand, negative regulation of TGF-β signaling by SMAD7, for example, in the context of HCC, influences STAT3 signaling reciprocally, is now of interest.