After coculturing a-HSCs with HCC cells, the release of TGF-β from a-HSCs is reduced, which in turn inhibits the TGF-β/Smad pathway in HCC cells, coordinates the expression of the downstream transcription factor Snail, and hinders EMT of fibroblast-derived HCC cells, thereby preventing HCC metastasis and improving patient prognosis. Here, TGFB1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.