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Updated: May 27, 2026
06:54
Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells
Published on: October 27, 2020
Transforming growth factor beta 2: a predictive marker for breast cancer
Heena Dave1, Sunil Trivedi, Manoj Shah
1Receptor & Growth Factor Laboratory, The Gujarat Cancer & Research Institute, Asarwa, Ahmedabad 380 016, India.
Indian Journal of Experimental Biology
|December 1, 2011
Summary
Transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-beta2) shows a dual role in breast cancer. This study confirms TGF-beta2 as a predictive marker, identifying patients who may benefit from targeted therapies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signaling exhibits a dual role in breast cancer, acting as an early-stage inhibitor and a late-stage promoter, known as the TGF-beta switch.
- Understanding the biological mechanisms underlying this switch is crucial for developing effective breast cancer treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the utility of TGF-beta2 as a predictive marker for breast cancer.
- To identify patients who could benefit from anti-TGF-beta therapeutic strategies.
Main Methods:
- Quantification of circulatory and transcript levels of TGF-beta2 in 118 pretherapeutic breast cancer patients using ELISA and quantitative PCR (q-PCR) with the ddCt method.
- Multifactorial analysis correlating TGF-beta2 levels with clinico-pathological prognosticators.
- Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with a median follow-up of 49 months.
Main Results:
- Circulating TGF-beta2 levels were similar between control and breast cancer patients.
- TGF-beta2 was significantly upregulated in advanced tumors compared to early-stage tumors.
- An inverse correlation was observed between TGF-beta2 protein and mRNA levels, though both correlated significantly with clinico-pathological prognosticators.
- Higher TGF-beta2 mRNA expression was associated with earlier relapse in advanced-stage patients.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first evaluation of both circulatory and transcript levels of TGF-beta2, demonstrating the TGF-beta switch phenomenon.
- TGF-beta2 is confirmed as a significant predictive marker for breast cancer, offering potential for patient stratification and personalized therapy selection.
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