Targeting TGFbeta-mediated processes in cancer.

TGFbeta is a pleiotropic cytokine that has regulatory roles during embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis, and is especially important for epithelial, neural and immune system differentiation and function. An increasing number of literature reports support a role for autocrine and paracrine TGFbeta-mediated processes in cancer. Progress in delineating the effects of TGFbeta in different tumors and stages of cancer has stimulated the development of TGFbeta-targeted therapies. This review describes the causes of TGFbeta malfunction in cancer, the rationale for therapeutic targeting of TGFbeta in human neoplasia, and the molecular strategies to modulate the signal.