Emodin significantly inhibited Smad2/3 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation and suppressed TGF-β1-induced phosphorylation of AKT and the induction of Zeb1 and Twist by TGF-1β by TGF-β1 in both 4T1 cells and MDA-MB-231 cells, suggesting that emodin blocks TGF-β1-mediated crosstalk between TAMs and breast cancer cells. This evidence concerns the gene TGFB1 and breast cancer.