1. TGF-β signaling in liver and gastrointestinal cancers.
- Author
-
Katz LH, Likhter M, Jogunoori W, Belkin M, Ohshiro K, and Mishra L
- Subjects
- Animals, Antineoplastic Agents therapeutic use, Gastrointestinal Neoplasms drug therapy, Gastrointestinal Neoplasms genetics, Gastrointestinal Neoplasms pathology, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Humans, Liver Neoplasms drug therapy, Liver Neoplasms genetics, Liver Neoplasms pathology, Molecular Targeted Therapy, Mutation, Neoplastic Stem Cells metabolism, Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta antagonists & inhibitors, Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta metabolism, Transforming Growth Factor beta antagonists & inhibitors, Transforming Growth Factor beta genetics, Gastrointestinal Neoplasms metabolism, Liver Neoplasms metabolism, Signal Transduction drug effects, Transforming Growth Factor beta metabolism
- Abstract
Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) plays crucial and complex roles in liver and gastrointestinal cancers. These include a multitude of distinct functions, such as maintaining stem cell homeostasis, promoting fibrosis, immune modulating, as a tumor suppressor and paradoxically, as a tumor progressor. However, key mechanisms for the switches responsible for these distinct actions are poorly understood, and remain a challenge. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) analyses and genetically engineered mouse models now provide an integrated approach to dissect these multifaceted and context-dependent driving roles of the TGF-β pathway. In this review, we will discuss the molecular mechanisms of TGF-β signaling, focusing on colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, and liver cancers. Novel drugs targeting the TGF-β pathway have been developed over the last decade, and some have been proven effective in clinical trials. A better understanding of the TGF-β pathway may improve our ability to target it, thus providing more tools to the armamentarium against these deadly cancers., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF