TGF-β signaling pathway as a pharmacological target in liver diseases

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) belongs to a class of pleiotropic cytokines that are involved in the processes of embryonic development, wound healing, cell proliferation, and differentiation. Moreover, TGF-beta is also regarded as a central regulator in the pathogenesis and development of various liver diseases because it contributes to almost all of the stages of disease progression. A range of liver cells are considered to secrete TGF-beta ligands and express related receptors and, consequently, play a crucial role in the progression of liver disease via different signal pathways. In this manuscript, we review the role of the TGF-beta signaling pathway in liver disease and the potential of targeting the TGF-beta signaling in the pharmacological treatment of liver diseases. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.