Since LPS increases nuclear accumulation of β-catenin in human hepatoma cell lines (121), it will be important to determine whether LPS ± TGFβ1 induce SMAD and/or Wnt/β-catenin signaling in qHSCs or aHSCs and regulate BAMBI, TGFβ-R1 and TGFβ-R2 expression both in vivo and in vitro for better understanding of the pathway: LPS → Kupffer cells/HSCs → BAMBI → TGFβ1 → activation of HSCs/fibrosis. The gene discussed is TGFB1; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.