The TGFBeta pathway as a therapeutic target in cancer

Abstract

The TGFBeta pathway has recently emerged as a putative therapeutic target against cancer. However, TGFBeta has a complex and dual role in cancer. In normal epithelial cells and early tumours, TGFBeta acts as a tumour suppressor. In contrast, during tumour progression TGFBeta becomes an oncogenic factor inducing proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis, as well as suppressing the anti-tumoral immune response. The role of TGFBeta in oncogenesis requires the precise understanding of the TGFBeta pathway in order to design optimal therapeutic approaches and select the patient population that may benefit from an anti-TGFBeta therapy. Here we review the rationale for evaluating TGFBeta signalling inhibitors as cancer therapeutics, and the progress made in the preclinical and clinical testing of anti- TGFBeta compounds.