Transforming growth factor-beta and breast cancer: Lessons learned from genetically altered mouse models

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-betas are plausible candidate tumor suppressors in the breast. They also have oncogenic activities under certain circumstances, however. Genetically altered mouse models provide powerful tools to analyze the complexities of TGF-beta action in the context of the whole...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBreast cancer research : BCR Vol. 2; no. 2; pp. 100 - 106
Main Authors Wakefield, L M, Yang, Y A, Dukhanina, O
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England National Library of Medicine - MEDLINE Abstracts 01.01.2000
BioMed Central Ltd
BioMed Central
Subjects
Animals
Female
Genes, Tumor Suppressor - physiology
Genetic Engineering
Humans
Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental - metabolism
Mice
Mice, Transgenic - metabolism
Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta - metabolism
Review
Transforming Growth Factor beta - physiology
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Summary:Transforming growth factor (TGF)-betas are plausible candidate tumor suppressors in the breast. They also have oncogenic activities under certain circumstances, however. Genetically altered mouse models provide powerful tools to analyze the complexities of TGF-beta action in the context of the whole animal. Overexpression of TGF-beta can suppress tumorigenesis in the mammary gland, raising the possibility that use of pharmacologic agents to enhance TGF-beta function locally might be an effective method for the chemoprevention of breast cancer. Conversely, loss of TGF-beta response increases spontaneous and induced tumorigenesis in the mammary gland. This confirms that endogenous TGF-betas have tumor suppressor activity in the mammary gland, and suggests that the loss of TGF-beta receptors seen in some human breast hyperplasias may play a causal role in tumor development.
ISSN:1465-5411
1465-542X
1465-542X
DOI:10.1186/bcr41