The progress on roles of TGF-βin tumour microenvironment / 实用肿瘤学杂志

ABSTRACT

The transforming growth factor-β( TGF-β) pathway has been established as essential for cancer progression,because of its prominent role in the regulation of cell growth,differentiation and migration. Through the canonical and non-canonical arms of the signaling pathway,TGF-βinstigates cellular phenotypical changes that mediate its role as both tumour suppressor and tumour promoter.TGF-βacts as a potent driver of cancer progression through the induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT),in which epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal phenotype,leading to enhanced motility and invasion.It is evidence of the TGF-βpathway being tumour suppressive.However,there is also evidence to the contrary,abrogation of TGF-βsignalling in car-cinoma cells can also result in increased metastasis.This review addresses the experiments about role of an essen-tial signalling pathway,that of transforming growth factor-β,in the regulation of components of the tumour micro-environment and research of how this contributes to tumour progression.