Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is central during the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis, in which the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) also has an established role. TGF-β is also known to be the strongest inducer of PAI-1. To investigate the link between PAI-1 and TGF-β in fibrotic processes, we evaluated the effect of SK-216, a PAI-1-specific inhibitor, in TGF-β-dependent epithe...

PURPOSE The main cause of failure after retinal reattachment surgery is proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), in which contractile fibrocellular membranes form on the retinal surface and vitreous base. Recently, elevated levels of transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-beta 2) were measured in the vitreous of patients with PVR, suggesting a possible association with the disease. Because neutra...

Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) is a potent inhibitor of cellular proliferation in a variety of cell types, including skin keratinocytes. TGF-beta 1 suppression of c-myc transcription has been implicated in the mechanism of TGF-beta 1 inhibition of keratinocytes, and evidence suggests that the protein product of the retinoblastoma gene (pRB) is a necessary component in this pathw...

INTRODUCTION Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) is a well-known regulator of fibrosis and inflammation in many tissues. During embryonic development, TGF-β signaling induces expression of the transcription factor scleraxis, which promotes fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis in tendons. In skeletal muscle, TGF-β has been shown to induce atrophy and fibrosis, but the effect of TG...

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disease, mainly effecting the elderly population. The cause of OA seems to be an imbalance in catabolic and anabolic factors that develops with age. IL-1 is a catabolic factor known to induce cartilage damage, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta is an anabolic factor that can counteract many IL-1-induced effects. In old mice, we observed reduced respo...

Excess transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in the kidney leads to increased cell proliferation and deposition of extracellular matrix, resulting in progressive kidney fibrosis. TGF-beta1, however, stabilizes and attenuates tissue injury through the activation of cytoprotective proteins, including heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). HO-1 catabolizes pro-oxidant heme into substances with anti-oxida...

The TGF-␤ family comprises many cytokines involved in the control of cell fate (1). Some of these have been shown to control cell death. For instance, at least one of the members of the BMP subfamily of the TGF-␤ family is required in interdigital death, a classical model of developmentally programmed cell death (2). Another TGF-␤ family member, TGF-␤ 1, entertains a complicated relationship wi...

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is associated with sustained inflammation and progressive fibrosis, changes that have been linked to altered connexin hemichannel-mediated release of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). fibrosis develops in response increased deposition extracellular matrix (ECM), up-regulation collagen I an early marker renal disease. With ECM remodeling known promote a loss epithelial s...

PURPOSE To study whether glaucomatous extracellular matrix (ECM) modifications in the lamina cribrosa might be induced by TGF-beta 2, the effect of TGF-beta 2 on the expression of collagen types I (Col1 alpha 1), III (Col3 alpha 1), and IV (Col4 alpha 2); fibronectin (FN); tissue transglutaminase (TGM2); connective tissue growth factor (CTGF); and thrombospondin (TSP-1) in cultured human optic ...