They found that TGF-beta helps to heal wounds and is important in the body's defense system against disease.

VOA: special.2009.01.27

TGF-beta can both heal wounds and make healthy cells cancerous.

VOA: special.2010.05.18

The latest work revolves around two culprit proteins, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF).

FORBES: Scar Wars

Scientists then studied how injections of TGF-beta in lab rats accelerated fibrotic scarring at a wound site.

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Mice that were bred without the gene for TGF-beta scarred less and soon died from severe inflammation.

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