Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 9, 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
14.4K
TGF-β Sustains Tumor Progression through Biochemical and Mechanical Signal Transduction
Robert L Furler1, Douglas F Nixon2, Christine A Brantner3
1Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, 413 E 69th St., Belfer Research Building, New York, NY 10021, USA. rlf2001@med.cornell.edu.
Cancers
|June 16, 2018
Summary
Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling suppresses immune responses and remodels the tumor microenvironment. Understanding its role in cancer mechanobiology and immune suppression is key for developing new cancer therapies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling plays a dual role in cancer, promoting immunosuppression and tumor progression.
- TGF-β influences the tumor microenvironment through both biochemical and mechanical signals, impacting immune cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling.
- Canonical SMAD signaling is one pathway, but non-canonical pathways also contribute to TGF-β's effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the multifaceted roles of TGF-β signaling in cancer development.
- To highlight the intersection of TGF-β signaling with inflammatory pathways, particularly through TGF-β activated kinase 1 (TAK1).
- To discuss the significance of TGF-β in cancer mechanobiology and its impact on immune evasion.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on TGF-β signaling in cancer.
- Analysis of the role of TAK1 in integrating immune and TGF-β receptor signaling.
- Examination of TGF-β's contribution to the mechanical properties of the tumor microenvironment.
Main Results:
- TGF-β signaling inhibits proinflammatory responses crucial for anti-tumor immunity.
- TGF-β promotes tumor growth and survival by altering the ECM and inhibiting immune surveillance.
- TAK1 acts as a critical node connecting immune receptor signaling with TGF-β-mediated anti-inflammatory effects.
- TGF-β contributes to pro-survival mechanical cues within the tumor microenvironment.
Conclusions:
- Targeting TGF-β signaling presents a promising strategy for cancer therapy.
- Understanding the interplay between TGF-β, inflammation, and mechanobiology is essential for effective therapeutic design.
- Inhibiting TGF-β may enhance anti-tumor immune responses and reduce tumor progression.
Related Concept Videos
01:16TGF - β Signaling Pathway
10.6K
The TGF-β signaling pathway regulates cell growth, differentiation, adhesion, motility, and development. TGF-β ligands that induce TGF-β signaling are synthesized in their latent form. Several proteases or cell surface receptors such as integrins act upon the latent form, releasing the active ligand. There are three types of mammalian TGF-βs: (TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3) that bind as homodimers or heterodimers to TGF-β receptors. The TGF-β receptors...
10.6K
01:26Signal Transduction: Overview
11.6K
Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. They respond to chemical signals, such as hormones, neurotransmitters, and other signaling molecules, initiating a series of molecular reactions to produce an appropriate response. This is called signal transduction. Cells also coordinate different responses elicited by the same signaling molecule via mediators, allowing molecular cross-talk.
Typically, signal transduction involves three...
Typically, signal transduction involves three...
11.6K
02:07Tumor Progression
7.5K
Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
7.5K
03:03mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
4.8K
The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
The mTOR pathway or the...
4.8K
01:43Sustainable Development
15.2K
As the human population continues to grow and use resources, we must be mindful of our planet’s natural limits. Sustainable development provides a pathway to maintain and improve human life now while also ensuring that future generations will have the resources that they need. The long-term success of sustainability efforts rests on understanding the interplay between human actions and ecological systems.
15.2K
01:08Esters to β-Ketoesters: Claisen Condensation Mechanism
4.8K
Regular Claisen condensation involves the synthesis of β-ketoesters by combining identical ester molecules bearing two α hydrogens in the presence of an alkoxide base. The reaction commences with the deprotonation of the acidic α hydrogen by the base to form a resonance stabilized ester enolate. This nucleophilic ion then attacks the carbonyl center of another ester molecule to generate a tetrahedral alkoxide intermediate. Next, the expulsion of the alkoxide group from the...
4.8K