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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells
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Role of transforming growth factor Beta in human cancer

Rebecca L Elliott1, Gerard C Blobe

  • 1Department of Medicine and Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, 221 BMSRB Research Drive, Box 2631 DUMC, Durham, NC 27710, USA.

Journal of Clinical Oncology : Official Journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology
|March 19, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) signaling is crucial for cell regulation but is altered in cancer. Understanding its dual role is key for developing new cancer treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is a critical regulator of fundamental cellular processes like proliferation, differentiation, migration, cell survival, angiogenesis, and immunosurveillance.
  • Dysregulation of the TGF-beta signaling pathway, including mutations and resistance to its inhibitory effects, is common in human cancers, implicating it in tumor suppression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the multifaceted role of TGF-beta signaling in cancer, considering both its tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting functions.
  • To evaluate the potential of TGF-beta pathway components as prognostic and predictive markers in cancer patients.
  • To highlight the implications of ongoing research in targeting the TGF-beta pathway for cancer chemoprevention and therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of existing literature on TGF-beta signaling in cellular physiology and cancer.
  • Analysis of studies investigating alterations in the TGF-beta pathway in various human cancers.
  • Examination of research on the dual role of TGF-beta in tumor progression and suppression.
  • Evaluation of current and emerging therapeutic strategies targeting the TGF-beta pathway.

Main Results:

  • Alterations in the TGF-beta pathway are frequently observed in human cancers, often associated with a loss of its tumor suppressor functions.
  • TGF-beta exhibits a complex, context-dependent role in cancer, mediating both tumor suppression and promotion through differential effects on tumor and stromal cells.
  • Components of the TGF-beta pathway are being investigated as valuable prognostic and predictive biomarkers for cancer patients.

Conclusions:

  • The TGF-beta signaling pathway plays a complex and often contradictory role in cancer development and progression.
  • Targeting the TGF-beta pathway holds significant promise for the future chemoprevention and treatment of human cancers.
  • Further research into the intricate mechanisms of TGF-beta signaling is essential for optimizing therapeutic strategies.

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