Description
TGF-betas have complex roles in tumorigenesis, with context-dependent effects that can either suppress or promote tumor progression. Our goal was to use integrated genomic approaches in a model of human breast cancer progression to identify core TGF-beta-regulated genes that specifically reflect the tumor suppressor activity of TGF-beta. The model consisted of the non-tumorigenic MCF10A (M1), the premalignant MCF10AT1k.cl2 (M2), the early malignant MCF10Ca1h (M3) and the highly malignant, metastatic MCF10Ca1a.cl1 (M4) cell lines. We have previously shown that tumor suppressor activity of TGF-beta is lost in the highly malignant M4 cells.