Background/Aim: This study analysed threonine-phosphorylated Smad2/3 (pSmad2/3L-Thr)
expression and investigated whether pSmad2/3L-Thr is related to the transition from human …

Background: Epithelial cells affected by somatic mutations undergo transition from a tumour-
suppressive to a carcinogenic Smad pathway during sporadic colorectal carcinogenesis …

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β initially inhibits growth of mature epithelial cells. Later,
however, autocrine TGF-β signaling acts in concert with the Ras pathway to induce a …

Background There is little known about stem cells in human non-neoplastic and neoplastic
esophageal epithelia. We have demonstrated expression of linker threonine-phosphorylated …

Inhibitory SMAD7 and common mediator SMAD4 play crucial roles in SMAD-dependent TGF-
β signaling that is often disrupted in colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to profile the …

The mechanisms underlying the transition from colitis-associated inflammation to
carcinogenesis and the cell origin of cancer formation are still unclear. The azoxymethane …

Background SMAD family member 4 (SMAD4) has gained attention as a promising
prognostic factor of colorectal cancer (CRC) as well as a key molecule to understand the …

Conversion of normal epithelial cells to tumors is associated with a shift in transforming
growth factor-β (TGF-β) function: reduction of tumor suppressor activity and increase of …

Background TGF-β plays a dual role in the progression of human cancer. During the early
stages of carcinogenesis, TGF-β functions as a tumor suppressor. During the late stages of …

Background Quiescent (slow-cycling) and active (rapid-cycling) stem cells are demonstrated
in small intestines. We have identified significant expression of Smad2/3, phosphorylated at …