Transforming Growth Factor-β: A Therapeutic Target for Cancer

Overview

Journal Hum Vaccin Immunother

Specialty Allergy & Immunology

Date 2017 Jun 3

PMID 28575585

Citations 146

Authors

Sulsal Haque

John C Morris

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) regulates cell growth and differentiation, apoptosis, cell motility, extracellular matrix production, angiogenesis, and cellular immunity. It has a paradoxical role in cancer. In the early stages it inhibits cellular transformation and prevents cancer progression. In later stages TGF-β plays a key role in promoting tumor progression through mainly 3 mechanisms: facilitating epithelial to mesenchymal transition, stimulating angiogenesis and inducing immunosuppression. As a result of its opposing tumor promoting and tumor suppressive abilities, TGF-β and its pathway has represented potential opportunities for drug development and several therapies targeting the TGF-β pathway have been identified. This review focuses on identifying the mechanisms through which TGF-β is involved in tumorigenesis and current therapeutics that are under development.

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