Role of Transforming Growth Factor-β in Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Human Cancers - A Brief Review
P. Jayanthi *
Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Azeezia College of Dental Science and Research, Meeyannoor P.O., Kollam, Kerala, India.
J. Selvaraj
Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College Chennai, India.
R. J. Krishnasree
Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Azeezia College of Dental Science and Research, Meeyannoor P.O., Kollam, Kerala, India.
B. R. Varun
Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, PMS College of Dental Science and Research, Tiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
R. Rathy
Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Azeezia College of Dental Science and Research, Meeyannoor P.O., Kollam, Kerala, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a crucial process in embryogenesis, however it also plays an important role in pathologies including inflammation, wound healing and cancer. EMT is a determining step in cancer metastasis as tumour cells utilise the process of EMT for invasion, migration and colonization at distant sites. The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a pleiotropic inflammatory cytokine belonging to the TGF-β super family of growth and differentiation factors secreted by immune, non-hematopoietic and tumour cells. Three TGF-β isoforms, TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3 are recognized in mammals. TGF-β induced signalling pathways remains the most prominent among other pathways inducing EMT. The TGF-β induced signaling pathways are inducted in all three types of EMT including the physiological embryogenesis process and pathological process such as wound healing and tumorogenesis. TGF-β acts via the SMAD and Non-SMAD pathways and plays major roles in tumour infiltration and metastasis. This article aims to briefly review the role of TGF- β induced signalling pathways and its role in tumour progression in human cancers such as lung cancer, breast cancer and oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Keywords: Epithelial mesenchymal transition, TGF- β, cancer