PURPOSE To determine the levels of mRNAs encoding markers of fibrosis in lens epithelial cells (LECs) from patients with anterior polar cataracts and to test whether transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta enhances the expression of mRNAs for mesenchymal markers in LECs. METHODS LECs attached to the anterior capsules of patients with nuclear or anterior polar cataracts were analyzed by reverse ...

Smad4 (DPC4) is a candidate tumor suppressor gene that has been hypothesized to be critical for transmitting signals from transforming growth factor (TGF) beta and related ligands. To directly test this hypothesis, the Smad4 gene was deleted through homologous recombination in human colorectal cancer cells. This deletion abrogated signaling from TGF-beta, as well as from the TGF-beta family mem...

Stimulation of smooth muscle cells with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) results in the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) cascade and leads to cell proliferation. We show that transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), at concentrations that completely inhibited bFGF-induced mitogenic activity, decreased bFGF-induced MAP kinase activity. Under these condi...

We examined the effect of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) alone and in combinations with other factors on the growth and differentiation of the human promyelocytic cell line HL60 and the human monoblastic cell line U937. Treatment with TGF-beta alone did not significantly affect growth or differentiation of HL60 cells, while it significantly inhibited proliferation and induced monocy...

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) inhibits proliferation of keratinocytes cultured from normal anogenital epithelia; however, human papillomavirus (HPV)-immortalized cell lines often exhibit increased resistance. Present results demonstrate that TGF-beta 1 (1-10 pM) stimulates growth of multiple HPV-immortalized cell lines when cultures are maintained under conditions promoting squamou...

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signals through membrane-bound heteromeric serine/threonine kinase receptors. Upon ligand binding, TGF-beta activates intracellular Smad proteins and regulates proliferation and apoptosis in various cell types. To demonstrate the effects of TGF-beta/Smad signal on growth and apoptosis of human embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) cells, a strategy of RNAi-...

To measure the in vivo secretion of high molecular weight (HMW) transforming growth factor (TGF)beta by Reed-Sternberg cells from patients with nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease, we studied the urine samples from untreated patients. The urinary proteins did not promote the proliferation of NIH-3T3 cells in monolayer culture and contained similar amounts of total TGF activity when compared wi...

Mouse skin carcinomas arise from a small subpopulation of benign papillomas with an increased risk of malignant conversion. These papillomas arise with limited stimulation by tumor promoters, appear rapidly, and do not regress, suggesting that they differ in growth properties from the majority of benign tumors. The transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) proteins are expressed in the epiderm...

Although exogenous transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is known to inhibit branching morphogenesis in mouse embryonic lungs in culture, whether the principal negative function of endogenous TGF-beta signaling resides in lung epithelium or mesenchyme remains unresolved. A recombinant adenovirus was constructed, containing a mutated human TGF-beta type II receptor with a truncated cytoplas...