Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 10, 2026

Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells
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Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells

Published on: October 27, 2020

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Switching Roles of TGF-β in Cancer Development: Implications for Therapeutic Target and Biomarker Studies

Nan Sun1, Ayumu Taguchi2, Samir Hanash3

  • 1Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. nsun@mdanderson.org.

Journal of Clinical Medicine
|December 6, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) exhibits dual roles in cancer, suppressing tumors early but promoting metastasis later. New research identifies key cellular switches and driver genes influencing TGF-β"s context-dependent functions in cancer progression.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular Biology
  • Cancer Research
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling plays a dual role in cancer, paradoxically suppressing tumor development in early stages while promoting metastasis in advanced cancers.
  • The precise cellular mechanisms and molecular determinants dictating these opposing TGF-β functions remain largely unidentified, hindering the development of targeted therapies.
  • Understanding these context-dependent roles is crucial for leveraging TGF-β pathways in cancer treatment.

Approach:

  • Investigated the cellular contextual determinants governing the differential roles of TGF-β.
  • Focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying Smad proteins' involvement in TGF-β signaling pathways.
  • Identified potential driver genes that modulate these determinants.

Key Points:

  • TGF-β's biological outcomes are highly dependent on the cellular context, leading to distinct effects like tumor suppression versus metastasis promotion.
  • Recent findings highlight novel molecular switches that alter Smad protein behavior within the TGF-β pathway.
  • These switches and their downstream effectors are implicated in driving TGF-β-mediated cancer progression.

Conclusions:

  • The identified cellular switches and driver genes offer new insights into the context-dependent actions of TGF-β in cancer.
  • These factors represent promising prognostic biomarkers for predicting cancer progression.
  • Targeting these novel effectors could provide new therapeutic strategies for TGF-β-driven cancers.
Keywords:
TGF-βbiomarkerrole switchtargeted therapy

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