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Smad Signaling

Meaning

Smad Signaling refers to a major, evolutionarily conserved intracellular signal transduction pathway that mediates the diverse biological effects of the Transforming Growth Factor-beta superfamily of cytokines, which includes TGF-βs, Activins, and Bone Morphogenetic Proteins. Smad proteins function as critical transcription factors that dynamically shuttle between the cytoplasm and the nucleus to regulate complex gene expression programs in response to these external stimuli. This pathway is fundamentally involved in controlling cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and the critical maintenance of tissue homeostasis.