TGF-β signaling and epithelial–mesenchymal transition in cancer progression

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: TGF-β acts 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. Recent reports highlight the fundamental roles of TGF-β-induced EMT in multiple aspects of cancer progression. In this review, we focus on the novel insights into the roles of TGF-β-induced EMT in cancer progression and the underlying mechanisms that enable TGF-β to activate this epithelial plasticity response at transcription, translation, and posttranslational levels. RECENT FINDINGS: Smad-mediated transcription regulation is known to activate TGF-β-induced EMT. More…