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Updated: Dec 13, 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

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TGFβ biology in cancer progression and immunotherapy

Rik Derynck1,2,3, Shannon J Turley4, Rosemary J Akhurst5,6

  • 1Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA. rik.derynck@ucsf.edu.

Nature Reviews. Clinical Oncology
|July 26, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signaling fuels cancer progression and hinders immunotherapy. Inhibiting TGFβ signaling is crucial for enhancing cancer treatments and overcoming therapeutic resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Immunology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signaling is implicated in cancer progression.
  • TGFβ signaling promotes tumor cell invasion, stemness, and therapeutic resistance.
  • TGFβ in the tumor microenvironment creates an immunosuppressive environment, limiting immunotherapy efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanisms of TGFβ signaling in tumors and their microenvironment.
  • To discuss strategies for inhibiting TGFβ signaling.
  • To explore the application of TGFβ inhibition in cancer immunotherapies.

Main Methods:

  • Review of literature on TGFβ signaling pathways in cancer.
  • Analysis of TGFβ's role in tumor microenvironment modulation.
  • Discussion of therapeutic strategies targeting TGFβ signaling.

Main Results:

  • TGFβ signaling supports cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and stem cell properties.
  • Tumor-associated TGFβ suppresses anti-tumor immune responses.
  • Inhibition of TGFβ signaling can enhance anti-cancer immunity and immunotherapy efficacy.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting TGFβ signaling is a promising strategy to improve cancer immunotherapy.
  • Understanding TGFβ mechanisms is key to developing effective combination therapies.
  • Inhibiting TGFβ signaling may overcome resistance in various cancer types.

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