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Updated: Dec 24, 2025

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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Targeting TGFβ Signalling in Cancer: Toward Context-Specific Strategies

Rhiannon French1, Yuliang Feng1, Siim Pauklin1

  • 1Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Old Road, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LD, UK.

Trends in Cancer
|April 13, 2020
PubMed

Insights

The transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) pathway shifts from tumor-suppressing to tumor-promoting functions. Understanding this change is crucial for developing new cancer stem cell (CSC) therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular Biology
  • Molecular Oncology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • The transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signaling pathway is a critical regulator of diverse cellular functions.
  • TGFβ's role in cancer is complex and context-dependent, with dual functions as both a tumor suppressor and a promoter.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the regulatory mechanisms governing the TGFβ pathway.
  • To understand the transition of the TGFβ pathway from an antitumorigenic to a protumorigenic role.
  • To explore the implications of these findings for cancer stem cell (CSC) biology and therapeutic interventions.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent discoveries in TGFβ pathway regulation.
  • Analysis of the context-dependent switch in TGFβ signaling.
  • Investigation of CSC functions influenced by TGFβ.

Main Results:

  • Recent research highlights key regulatory insights into the TGFβ pathway.
  • The pathway's functional switch from antitumorigenic to protumorigenic is a significant finding.
  • These alterations impact cancer stem cell behavior.

Conclusions:

  • The dynamic nature of the TGFβ pathway has profound implications for cancer progression.
  • Targeting the TGFβ pathway offers potential new strategies for cancer stem cell therapy.
Keywords:
Smad2/3TGFβ signalling pathwaycancer stem cellsepithelial-to-mesenchymal transitiongene expressionpancreatic tumorigenesis

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