More than an accessory: implications of type III transforming growth factor-β receptor loss in prostate cancer

摘要

The type III transforming growth factor-β receptor (TGFβR3, betaglycan), a tumour suppressor, is the most frequently lost TGFβ pathway component. This event appears to be very important in the transition of the TGFβ pathway from having tumour-suppressor activity in early prostate tumour development, to having tumour-promoting activity in metastatic disease. Moreover, loss of the TGFβR3 can also affect the cellular response towards testosterone, inhibin/activin, and dysregulate growth-factor pathways that mediate growth and angiogenesis. In this review we discuss how TGFβR3 normally functions as an accessory protein in the TGFβ pathway, how its loss is related to tumour progression, and the treatment implications of TGFβR3 loss in individuals with prostate cancer.