title: Cutting the brakes and flooring the gas: how TMEPAI turns TGF-β into a tumor promoter.
abstract: In normal or nonmalignant cells, TGF-β inhibits cellular proliferation through activation of the SMAD-dependent canonical signaling pathway. Recent findings demonstrate that the protein TMEPAI1 can block the cytostatic effects of the canonical TGF-β signaling pathway, while activating cellular proliferation through the noncanonical, SMAD-independent TGF-β signaling pathway. As TMEPAI1 shows increased expression in the poor prognosis basal and HER2 intrinsic subtypes of breast cancer, these findings point to a new avenue of targeted therapy with considerable therapeutic potential.
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Magdalena A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cichon
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Derek C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Radisky
keywords: TGF beta; TMEPAI; breast cancer