The concomitant apoptosis and EMT underlie the fundamental functions of TGF-β

TGF-beta's multipotent cellular effects and their relations are critical for TGF-beta's pathophysiological functions. However, these effects may appear to be paradoxical in understanding TGF-beta's functions. Apoptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) are two fundamental events that are deeply linked to various physiological and disease-related processes. These two major cellular fates are subtly regulated and can be potently stimulated by TGF-beta, which profoundly contribute to the biological roles of TGF-beta. Moreover, these two events are also indirectly and directly correlated with TGF-beta-mediated growth inhibition and are relevant to the current understanding of the roles of TGF-beta in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Although TGF-beta-induced apoptosis and EMT can be singly independent cellular events, they can also be mutually exclusive but interrelated concomitant events in various cases. Thus, the modulation of apoptosis and EMT is essential for the seemingly paradoxical functions of TGF-beta. However, the concomitant effect of TGF-beta on apoptosis and EMT, the balance and regulated alterations of them are still been ignored or underestimated. This review focuses on the TGF-beta-induced concomitant apoptosis and EMT. We aim to provide an insight in understanding their significance, balance, and modulation in TGF-beta-mediated biological functions.