The TGFβ pathway as a therapeutic target in cancer

Abstract

The TGFβ pathway has recently emerged as a putative therapeutic target against cancer. However, TGFβ has a complex and dual role in cancer. In normal epithelial cells and early tumours, TGFβ acts as a tumour suppressor. In contrast, during tumour progression TGFβ becomes an oncogenic factor inducing proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis, as well as suppressing the anti-tumoral immune response. The role of TGFβ in oncogenesis requires the precise understanding of the TGFβ pathway in order to design optimal therapeutic approaches and select the patient population that may benefit from an anti-TGFβ therapy. Here we review the rationale for evaluating TGFβ signalling inhibitors as cancer therapeutics, and the progress made in the preclinical and clinical testing of anti-TGFβ compounds. © Feseo 2008.