Nonalcoholic fibrosing steatohepatitis is a uniform process that occurs throughout nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to be involved in the biological processes, but the role and molecular mechanism of miRNAs in NAFLD are not entirely clear. In this study, we observed a significant reduction in the expression of miR-130a-3p in livers of a mouse model wi...

Carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAF) play a critical role inmalignant progression. Loss of TGF-b receptor II (TGFbR2) in the prostate stroma is correlated with prostatic tumorigenesis. To determine the mechanisms by which stromal heterogeneity because of loss of TGFbR2 might contribute to cancer progression, we attenuated transforming growth factor beta (TGF-b) signaling in a subpopulation of...

Mutations in the gene for the latent transforming growth factor beta binding protein 4 (LTBP4) cause autosomal recessive cutis laxa type 1C. To understand the molecular disease mechanisms of this disease, we investigated the impact of LTBP4 loss on transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signaling. Despite elevated extracellular TGFβ activity, downstream signaling molecules of the TGFβ pathway, ...

Clefting of the soft palate occurs as a congenital defect in humans and adversely affects the physiological function of the palate. However, the molecular and cellular mechanism of clefting of the soft palate remains unclear because few animal models exhibit an isolated cleft in the soft palate. Using three-dimensional microCT images and histological reconstruction, we found that loss of TGFβ s...

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signaling disorder has emerged as a common molecular signature for aortic aneurysm development. The timing of postnatal maturation plays a key role in dictating the biological outcome of TGF-β signaling disorders in the aortic wall. In this study, we investigated the impact of deficiency of TGFβ receptors on the structural homeostasis of mature aortas. We used...

TGF-beta subtypes are expressed in tissues derived from cranial neural crest cells during early mouse craniofacial development. TGF-beta signaling is critical for mediating epithelial-mesenchymal interactions, including those vital for tooth morphogenesis. However, it remains unclear how TGF-beta signaling contributes to the terminal differentiation of odontoblast and dentin formation during to...

Background: MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression and involve in many cellular and physiological mechanisems. Recent studies have revealed that dysregulation of microRNAs might contribute to autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis. Based on these findings, we examined the potential role of miR-320 isoforms, miR-320-3p and miR-320-5p, in the context of autoimmu...

Background TGFbeta production by solid tumors and their microenvironment is a major mechanism used to avoid immunosurveillance. Blockade of has been shown promote an anti-tumor response; however, systemic blockade also associated with toxicity. We hypothesized that T cell-targeted TGFbR2 bispecific antibody could selectively block the suppressive activity on cells enhance while avoiding toxicit...

Age at natural menopause (ANM), a highly heritable phenotype, has been identified to be closely associated with major hormone-related diseases, including breast cancer and gynecological cancers. We previously identified an important role for the transforming growth factor, β receptor II (TGFBR2) gene polymorphisms in breast cancer susceptibility among Asian women. Considering the important role...