IMMUNOLOGICAL ROLE OF TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR BETA IN BREAST CANCER
Abstract
This review examines the challenges and advancements in early detection and treatment that impact breast cancer patient prognosis, with a focus on the role of the immune system in recognizing and combating cancer cells and the involvement of TGF-β in these processes. It provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how TGF-β interacts with immune dynamics in breast cancer. The three isoforms of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3) are pleiotropic and are part of a large family of cytokines that regulate cell growth, differentiation, extracellular matrix production, and immune responses. TGF-β is crucial in breast cancer due to its roles in orchestrating carcinogenesis, angiogenesis, and invasion. Initially, TGF-β plays a suppressive role by regulating immune responses, but as the disease progresses, it is co-opted by cancer cells to promote immune evasion and tolerance.
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