Christophe Guignabert, Marc Humbert
European Respiratory Journal 2020; DOI: 10.1183/13993003.02341-2020
Abstract
The transforming growth factor (TGF)-β superfamily includes several groups of multifunctional proteins that form two major branches, namely the TGF-β/activin/nodal branch and the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)/growth differentiation factor (GDF) branch. The response to the activation of these two branches, acting through canonical (Smad 2/3 and Smad 1/5/8, respectively) and noncanonical signalling pathways, are diverse and vary amongst different environmental conditions and cell types. An extensive body of data gathered in recent years has demonstrated a central role for the cross-talk between these two branches in a number of cellular processes that include the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation, as well as the transduction of signalling cascades for the development and maintenance of different tissues and organs. Importantly, alterations in these pathways that include heterozygous germline mutations and/or alterations in the expression of several constitutive members have been identified in patients with familial/heritable or idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Consequently, loss or dysfunctions in the delicate, finely tuned balance between the TGF-β/activin/nodal branch and the BMP/GDF branch are currently viewed as the major molecular defect playing a critical role in PAH predisposition and disease progression. Here we review the role of the TGF-β/activin/nodal branch in PAH and illustrate how this knowledge has not only provided insight to understand its pathogenesis, but also paved the way for possible novel therapeutic approaches.
Footnotes
This manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the European Respiratory Journal. It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJ online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article.
Conflict of interest: Dr. Guignabert has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: Dr. Humbert reports personal fees from Acceleron, grants and personal fees from Actelion, grants and personal fees from Bayer, personal fees from GSK, personal fees from Merck, personal fees from Novartis, personal fees from Astrazeneca, personal fees from Sanofi, outside the submitted work.
- Received June 16, 2020.
- Accepted July 31, 2020.
- Copyright ©ERS 2020
