title: TGF-β and the TGF-β Family: Context-Dependent Roles in Cell and Tissue Physiology.
abstract: The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is the prototype of the TGF-β family of growth and differentiation factors, which is encoded by 33 genes in mammals and comprises homo- and heterodimers. This review introduces the reader to the TGF-β family with its complexity of names and biological activities. It also introduces TGF-β as the best-studied factor among the TGF-β family proteins, with its diversity of roles in the control of cell proliferation and differentiation, wound healing and immune system, and its key roles in pathology, for example, skeletal diseases, fibrosis, and cancer.
authors.affiliation: Ludwig Cancer Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Biomedical Center, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morikawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143.
authors.forename: Rik
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Derynck
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyazono
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018450:Disease Progression; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010802:Phylogeny; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta