Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 25, 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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Extracellular Vesicles and Transforming Growth Factor β Signaling in Cancer

Dorival Mendes Rodrigues-Junior1, Chrysoula Tsirigoti1, Sai Kiang Lim2

  • 1Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.

Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
|May 2, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) carrying transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) pathway molecules impact cancer progression, metastasis, and treatment response. These EV-associated TGF-β molecules show promise as cancer biomarkers.

Area of Science:

  • Cancer Biology
  • Cell Signaling
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling pathway exhibits dual roles in cancer, suppressing early stages but promoting metastasis in advanced disease.
  • Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are key mediators of intercellular communication, influencing the tumor microenvironment and cancer progression.
  • EVs contain various molecular cargo, including mRNAs, non-coding RNAs, and proteins linked to the TGF-β pathway.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the impact of EVs on TGF-β signaling in cancer.
  • To elucidate mechanisms by which EV cargo influences tumorigenesis, metastasis, immune evasion, and treatment response.
  • To highlight the potential of TGF-β-related molecules in circulating EVs as cancer biomarkers.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on extracellular vesicles and TGF-β signaling in cancer.
  • Analysis of mechanisms involving EV cargo in cancer development and progression.
  • Evaluation of TGF-β-related molecules in EVs as diagnostic and prognostic markers.

Main Results:

  • EVs can modulate TGF-β signaling, affecting cancer cell behavior and the tumor microenvironment.
  • EV cargo influences key cancer processes including metastasis and immune evasion.
  • TGF-β pathway components within EVs are implicated in resistance to anti-cancer therapies.

Conclusions:

  • EVs play a significant role in mediating TGF-β signaling during cancer progression.
  • TGF-β-related molecules packaged in EVs represent promising biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment prediction.
  • Targeting EV-mediated TGF-β signaling may offer novel therapeutic strategies.
Keywords:
cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF)epithelial – mesenchymal transition (EMT)extracellular vesicle (EV)metastasismicro-RNA (miRNA)transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)

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