In another study, the biological function of TGF-β1 was evaluated by analyzing downstream molecules involved in the progression of HCC in a large cohort of HCC patients in different disease stages; the study concluded that, rather than indicating advanced HCC, TGF-β1 corresponds to intrinsic biological properties of the tumor, affecting progression and the clinical outcome of the disease [67]. Here, TGFB1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.