TGF-beta and microvessel homeostasis.

ABSTRACT

Aberrant transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signaling plays a clear role in a number of pathologies, in particular, fibrotic diseases and cancer. Accumulating evidence also suggests that TGF-beta is required for vascular homeostasis, shedding light on the role of circulating TGF-beta and the expression of TGF-beta receptors in the adult vasculature, in the absence of any pathologic processes. In human pathologies such as hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) and preeclampsia, TGF-beta signaling is abnormal. Studies from these disorders have helped elucidate the complex and multiple roles of this ubiquitously-expressed growth factor. The aim of this review is to collate some of the recent evidence that demonstrates a non-redundant role for TGF-beta signaling in maintaining vessel structure and function.