TGFB1 and neoplasm: However, during the course of HCC progression, TGF-β switches to a pro-tumorigenic signal within the tumor itself and in the tumor stroma, inducing aggressive phenotypes, such as cancer cell proliferation, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), as well as tumor microenvironment (TME) remodeling and immune evasion of cancer cells [12].