Following the discovery of transforming growth factor (TGF) in normal tissue and serum in the 1980s, the actions of the TGF protein family of polypeptides (including TGFβ, activin, inhibin, anti-Mullerian hormone, bone morphogenetic proteins [BMPs], growth differentiation factors [GDFs], and nodals) were found to have heterogenous roles in several aspects of development, homeostasis, and cancer [11]. The gene discussed is TGFB1; the disease is cancer.