TGF-β in the pathogenesis and prevention of disease: a matter of aneurysmic proportions

TGF-β regulates many aspects of cellular performance relevant to tissue morphogenesis and homeostasis. Postnatal perturbation of TGF-β signaling contributes to the pathogenesis of many disease states, as recently exemplified through the study of Marfan syndrome (MFS), including aortic aneurysm and skeletal muscle myopathy. Heterogeneity in the regulation and consequences of TGF-β signaling, amplified in the context of disease, has engendered...