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The Role of TGF-β Signaling Pathways in Cancer and Its Potential as a Therapeutic Target.

Yun YangWen-Long YeRuo-Nan ZhangXiao-Shun HeJing-Ru WangYu-Xuan LiuYi WangXue-Mei YangYu-Juan ZhangWen-Juan Gan
Published in: Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM (2021)
The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway mediates various biological functions, and its dysregulation is closely related to the occurrence of malignant tumors. However, the role of TGF-β signaling in tumorigenesis and development is complex and contradictory. On the one hand, TGF-β signaling can exert antitumor effects by inhibiting proliferation or inducing apoptosis of cancer cells. On the other hand, TGF-β signaling may mediate oncogene effects by promoting metastasis, angiogenesis, and immune escape. This review summarizes the recent findings on molecular mechanisms of TGF-β signaling. Specifically, this review evaluates TGF-β's therapeutic potential as a target by the following perspectives: ligands, receptors, and downstream signaling. We hope this review can trigger new ideas to improve the current clinical strategies to treat tumors related to the TGF-β signaling pathway.
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