Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) (TGF-beta)

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays a fundamental role in regulating various cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis (UniProt P01137). While the term \"Transforming Growth Factor Beta-expressing cells\" describes a cell population, the therapeutic target is the TGF-beta protein itself or its signaling pathway. TGF-beta exists in three isoforms (TGF-beta 1, 2, and 3) and signals through a heteromeric receptor complex consisting of type I (TGFBR1) and type II (TGFBR2) serine/threonine kinase receptors (Massagué, 2012). In healthy tissues, TGF-beta maintains homeostasis and acts as a tumor suppressor; however, in advanced cancer, it promotes tumor progression by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and suppressing the anti-tumor immune response (Batlle & Massagué, 2019). It is also a master regulator of fibrosis, driving fibroblast activation and extracellular matrix deposition in organs like the lungs and liver (Meng et al., 2016). Therapeutic strategies targeting TGF-beta include neutralizing monoclonal antibodies, small molecule kinase inhibitors, and bifunctional fusion proteins designed to sequester the ligand within the tumor microenvironment (Akhurst, 2017).

Other names

TGFBTransforming growth factor beta 1Transforming growth factor beta 2Transforming growth factor beta 3TGF-beta1TGF-beta2TGF-beta3LAPCED

Neutralization of the cytokine ligand, inhibition of TGF-beta receptor kinase activity, or sequestration of the cytokine via decoy receptors/traps.