TGFB1 and Hepatic fibrosis: This finding aligns with earlier reports of HGF function in pulmonary and liver fibrosis models, which suggests that HGF-induced myofibroblast cell death is a key event in the healing process.53 TGF-β signaling has been shown to increase the expression of c-Met, the receptor for HGF,54 suggesting that in a fibrotic microenvironment the HGF activity may be more pronounced in myofibroblasts than in quiescent stromal keratinocytes.