Remarkably, the adjacent hepatocytes of co-opted lesions also expressed high levels of phosphorylated SMAD2 (S465/467) and phosphorylated p38 (T180/Y182), indicating that TGFβ1 in the adjacent hepatocytes of co-opted lesions may participate in furnishing a favorable environment for cancer cells to establish vessel co-option via multiple mechanisms. Here, TGFB1 is linked to cancer.