The biology of TGFβ in irradiated tissues:

A major focus of the laboratory is to study the multiple and complex mechanisms by which TGFβ affects irradiated cells and tissues. TGFβ is produced in a latent form that is activated extracellularly, releasing the ligand to bind to ubiquitous receptors.  Our prior research discovered that ionizing radiation activates TGFβ, identified the means of localizing activity in tissues, and determined that TGFβ1 contains a redox switch that is an efficient mechanism of activation.