Smad7 is not a cell line but a protein—a member of the Smad family—that acts as an inhibitory regulator within the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling pathway.
Smad7 is expressed widely across tissues and its expression is often upregulated in response to TGF-β stimulation, forming an auto-inhibitory loop.
In some cancers, Smad7 is upregulated. This upregulation may help cancer cells bypass the growth-inhibitory effects of TGF-β signaling during early tumorigenesis, effectively blocking TGF-β's tumor suppressor role.
• Conversely, in other cancer contexts, lower Smad7 levels might contribute to a more active TGF-β pathway, which in later stages can promote tumor invasion and metastasis. Thus, the role of Smad7 might shift depending on disease progression.
• In many cases, the TGF-β signaling pathway acts as a double-edged sword in cancer: initially suppressing tumor growth but later facilitating processes like epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), immune evasion, and metastasis. Smad7 is one of the key modulators in tipping this balance, so its expression levels will vary accordingly.
In summary, while Smad7 is commonly upregulated in certain cancer cells to counteract TGF-β’s suppressor function during early tumorigenesis, its overall role and expression level can vary depending on the specific cancer type and stage.
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