TGF-β signaling:: positive and negative effects on tumorigenesis

TGF-beta binding to the cell surface triggers activation of multiple signal transduction pathways that are connected in intricate ways with each other, and with other response networks involved in sensing cellular information input. Recent data indicate that changes in signal intensity and connectivity of these pathways may underlie the complex transition of the TGF-beta pathway from tumor suppressor to oncogene during tumorigenesis.