Tumor suppressor NDRG2 tips the balance of oncogenic TGF-β via EMT inhibition in colorectal cancer.

ABSTRACT: Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), a pluripotent cytokine expressed in the colon, has a crucial but paradoxical role in colorectal cancer (CRC). TGF-β is a potent proliferation inhibitor of normal colon epithelial cells and acts as a tumor suppressor. However, TGF-β also promotes invasion and metastasis during late-stage CRC, thereby acting as an oncogene. Thus, understanding the factors behind the paradoxical roles of TGF-β and elucidating the mechanisms by which TGF-β-induced proliferation inhibition is impaired in CRC are necessary. Here, we found that the N-Myc tumor suppressor gene downstream-regulated gene NDRG2 (N-Myc downstream-regulated gene 2), which is a TGF-β-responsive gene, abrogated TGF-β-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and further inhibited the invasio

SUBMITTER: Shen L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3940918 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature