title: Transforming growth factor-beta in cancer and metastasis.
abstract: Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is a multifunctional regulatory polypeptide that is the prototypical member of a large family of cytokines that controls many aspects of cellular function, including cellular proliferation, differentiation, migration, apoptosis, adhesion, angiogenesis, immune surveillance, and survival. The actions of TGF-beta are dependent on several factors including cell type, growth conditions, and the presence of other polypeptide growth factors. One of the biological effects of TGF-beta is the inhibition of proliferation of most normal epithelial cells using an autocrine mechanism of action, and this suggests a tumor suppressor role for TGF-beta. Loss of autocrine TGF-beta activity and/or responsiveness to exogenous TGF-beta appears to provide some epithelial cells with a growth advantage leading to malignant progression. This suggests a pro-oncogenic role for TGF-beta in addition to its tumor suppressor role. During the early phase of epithelial tumorigenesis, TGF-beta inhibits primary tumor development and growth by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In late stages of tumor progression when tumor cells become resistant to growth inhibition by TGF-beta due to inactivation of the TGF-beta signaling pathway or aberrant regulation of the cell cycle, the role of TGF-beta becomes one of tumor promotion. Resistance to TGF-beta-mediated inhibition of proliferation is frequently observed in multiple human cancers, as are various alterations in the complex TGF-beta signaling and cell cycle pathways. TGF-beta can exert effects on tumor and stromal cells as well as alter the responsiveness of tumor cells to TGF-beta to stimulate invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis, and to inhibit immune surveillance. Because of the dual role of TGF-beta as a tumor suppressor and pro-oncogenic factor, members of the TGF-beta signaling pathway are being considered as predictive biomarkers for progressive tumorigenesis, as well as molecular targets for prevention and treatment of cancer and metastasis.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, Cell and Cancer Biology Branch, 9610 Medical Center Drive, Suite 300, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. jakowles@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Sonia B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Jakowlew
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins