Abstract
Members of the TGF-beta superfamily exhibit various biological activities, and perturbations of their signaling are linked to certain clinical disorders including cancer. The role of TGF-beta signaling as a tumor suppressor pathway is best illustrated by the presence of inactivating mutations in genes encoding TGF-beta receptors and Smads in human carcinomas. This perspective is further supported by studies of tumor development in mouse models after modulation of receptors and Smads. TGF-beta also controls processes such as cell invasion, immune regulation, and microenvironment alterations that cancer cells may exploit to their advantage for their progression. Consequently, the output of a TGF-beta response is highly situation dependent, across different tissues, and also in cancer in general. Understanding the mechanisms of TGF-beta superfamily signaling is thus important for the development of new ways to treat various types of cancer. This review focuses on recent advances in understanding the Smad dependent TGF-beta pathway as it relates to human carcinogenesis.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1281-1293 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Frontiers in Bioscience |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Cancer
- Neoplasia
- Review
- Smads
- TGF-β
- Tumor
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
- General Immunology and Microbiology