Our data demonstrated that baicalein could downregulate the expression of TGF-β1 and inhibit the phosphorylation of SMAD3 in both TGF -β1 induced dermal fibroblasts and skins of bleomycin-induced mice of SSc, thus might result in decreased expression of fibrogenic markers, as shown in our findings stated above (Figs. 2, and 3). This evidence concerns the gene SMAD3 and systemic sclerosis.