Written and edited by experts in the field, this collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology provides a comprehensive view of the different members of the TGF- family, the signaling pathways they control, and how they influence development, normal physiology, and disease. The contributors describe the various TGF- family ligands, including activins and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), the structures and functions of the type I and type II receptors, and how ligand-receptor binding is regulated. Both Smad and non-Smad signaling pathways are discussed, as is cross talk between TGF- and other signaling pathways (e.g., Wnt). Individual chapters are devoted to the roles of TGF- signaling in specific biological processes, including cell proliferation, mesenchymal differentiation, branching morphogenesis, stem cell biology, immunity, vascular function, reproduction, and neurobiology. The roles of TGF- signaling in cancer, fibrosis, skeletal diseases, and other conditions, as well as prospects for therapeutics, are also covered.

The authors also review TGF- signaling in model organisms (e.g., C. elegans and Drosophila), as well as the discovery of TGF- and early research in the field. This volume is therefore a comprehensive reference on the biology of the TGF- family, and it will be valuable for not only cell and developmental biologists but all who wish to learn about this important field of research.