TGFB1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: While many reports have demonstrated that TGF-β activates Smad pathway mediating EMT, which contributes to hepatoma progression [9], it has been also demonstrated that the inhibition of p38MAPK, which is a downstream substrate of TGF-β-activating kinase 1 (TAK-1), reversed TGF-β-induced EMT [10].