title: SMAD4 and its role in pancreatic cancer.
abstract: Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) regulates cell functions and has key roles in pancreatic cancer development. SMAD4, as one of the Smads family of signal transducer from TGF-β, mediates pancreatic cell proliferation and apoptosis and is specifically inactivated in half of advanced pancreatic cancers. In recent years, many advances concerning SMAD4 had tried to unravel the complex signaling mechanisms of TGF-β and its dual role of tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting efforts in pancreatic cancer initiation and progression through SMAD4-dependent TGF-β signaling and SMAD4-independent TGF-β signaling pathways. Meanwhile, its potential prognostic value based on immunohistochemical expression in surgical sample was variably reported by several studies and short of a systematic analysis. This review aimed to discuss the structure, functions, and regulation of this principal protein and its effects in determining the progression and prognosis of pancreatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated First People's Hospital, 100 Hai Ning Road, Shanghai, 200080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Weidong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cen
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Kejian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zhengjun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qiu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051901:Smad4 Protein / Q000502:physiology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C497796:SMAD4 protein, human; D051901:Smad4 Protein; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta