Transforming Growth Factor- β and Oxidative Stress in Cancer: A Crosstalk in Driving Tumor Transformation

Abstract

Cancer metabolism involves different changes at a cellular level, and altered metabolic pathways have been demonstrated to be heavily involved in tumorigenesis and invasiveness. A crucial role for oxidative stress in cancer initiation and progression has been demonstrated; redox imbalance, due to aberrant reactive oxygen species (ROS) production or deregulated efficacy of antioxidant systems (superoxide dismutase, catalase, GSH), contributes to tumor initiation and progression of several types of cancer. ROS may modulate cancer cell metabolism by acting as secondary messengers in the signaling pathways (NF-kB, HIF-1α) involved in cellular proliferation and metastasis. It is known that ROS mediate many of the effects of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), a key cytokine central in tumorigenesis and cancer progression, which in turn can modulate ROS production and the related antioxidant system activity. Thus, ROS synergize with TGF-β in cancer cell metabolism by increasing the redox imbalance in cancer cells and by inducing the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), a crucial event associated with tumor invasiveness and metastases. Taken as a whole, this review is addressed to better understanding this crosstalk between TGF-β and oxidative stress in cancer cell metabolism, in the attempt to improve the pharmacological and therapeutic approach against cancer.

Keywords: EMT; TGF-β; oxidative stress.

Figure 1

TGF-β and ROS crosstalk. TGF-β binds its cell surface receptors and induces the activation of downstream pathways (SMAD, MAPK), and further regulates ROS production (NOXs activation, NOX 2 and 4)) or modulates antioxidant systems (SOD, CAT, GSH) and redox-sensitive transcription factors (NF-kB, HIF-1α). Furthermore, increased ROS production may directly induce TGF-β expression at a nuclear level.

Figure 2

TGF-β and oxidative stress crosstalk in cancer cells.