OncoSignal
Live from Open Targets Platform, fetched 2026-11-11 18:46 UTC. Every row links to its source record.

SMAD4 SMAD family member 4

ENSG00000141646 · protein coding · Open Targets profile

In muscle physiology, plays a central role in the balance between atrophy and hypertrophy. When recruited by MSTN, promotes atrophy response via phosphorylated SMAD2/4. MSTN decrease causes SMAD4 release and subsequent recruitment by the BMP pathway to promote hypertrophy via phosphorylated SMAD1/5/8. Acts synergistically with SMAD1 and YY1 in bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-mediated cardiac- specific gene expression. Binds to SMAD binding elements (SBEs) (5'- GTCT/AGAC-3') within BMP response element (BMPRE) of cardiac activating regions (By similarity). Common SMAD (co-SMAD) is the coactivator and mediator of signal transduction by TGF-beta (transforming growth factor). Component of the heterotrimeric SMAD2/SMAD3-SMAD4 complex that forms in the nucleus and is required for the TGF-mediated signaling (PubMed:25514493). Promotes binding of the SMAD2/SMAD4/FAST-1 complex to DNA and provides an activation function required for SMAD1 or SMAD2 to stimulate transcription. Component of the multimeric SMAD3/SMAD4/JUN/FOS complex which forms at the AP1 promoter site; required for synergistic transcriptional activity in response to TGF- beta. May act as a tumor suppressor. Positively regulates PDPK1 kinase activity by stimulating its dissociation from the 14-3-3 protein YWHAQ which acts as a negative regulator. {ECO:0000250, ECO:0000269|PubMed:17327236, ECO:0000269|PubMed:25514493, ECO:0000269|PubMed:9389648}.

In 8 of 15 cancers, the evidence for SMAD4 comes mainly from inherited variants

Each row is a cancer, strongest overall evidence first. The two dots show how strong the inherited (germline) and tumour-mutation (somatic) evidence is; the line between them is the gap.

Inherited (germline) variantsMutations in tumours (somatic)
00.250.50.751juvenile polyposis syndromejuvenile polyposis syndromejuvenile polyposis syndrome: germline 0.93juvenile polyposis/hereditary hemorrhag…juvenile polyposis/hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia syndromejuvenile polyposis/hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia syndrome: germline 0.92generalized juvenile polyposis/juvenile…generalized juvenile polyposis/juvenile polyposis coligeneralized juvenile polyposis/juvenile polyposis coli: germline 0.85familial pancreatic carcinomafamilial pancreatic carcinomafamilial pancreatic carcinoma: somatic 0.78familial pancreatic carcinoma: germline 0.86colorectal adenocarcinomacolorectal adenocarcinomacolorectal adenocarcinoma: somatic 0.81pancreatic adenocarcinomapancreatic adenocarcinomapancreatic adenocarcinoma: somatic 0.79hereditary neoplastic syndromehereditary neoplastic syndromehereditary neoplastic syndrome: germline 0.92gastric adenocarcinomagastric adenocarcinomagastric adenocarcinoma: somatic 0.70esophageal canceresophageal canceresophageal cancer: somatic 0.87colorectal cancercolorectal cancercolorectal cancer: somatic 0.43colorectal cancer: germline 0.55malignant pancreatic neoplasmmalignant pancreatic neoplasmmalignant pancreatic neoplasm: somatic 0.58malignant pancreatic neoplasm: germline 0.56cholangiocarcinomacholangiocarcinomacholangiocarcinoma: somatic 0.77colon carcinomacolon carcinomacolon carcinoma: somatic 0.46colon carcinoma: germline 0.68colon adenocarcinomacolon adenocarcinomacolon adenocarcinoma: somatic 0.60gastric cancergastric cancergastric cancer: germline 0.68

Scores run from 0 (no evidence) to 1 (strongest). A missing dot at 0 means Open Targets holds no evidence of that kind. Source: Open Targets Platform, fetched live.

Tractability

Small molecule
Structure with Ligand, High-Quality Pocket
PROTAC
UniProt Ubiquitination, Database Ubiquitination, Half-life Data

gnomAD loss of function constraint: o/e 0.11072999984025955 (upper bound 0.20799000561237335). Low values mean loss of function is poorly tolerated, a safety flag for inhibition.

Who runs trials of these drugs

No named investigators on registry trials of SMAD4's approved or late-stage drugs in the last three years.

No terminated, withdrawn or suspended trials of SMAD4's drugs are registered

All 0 drugs and clinical candidates as a table

Each drug, stage and indication links to its Open Targets record, where the trials and approvals behind it are listed. Salt forms (for example a mesylate) are listed as Open Targets records them, as separate entries.

DrugTypeHighest stageIndicationsSource records
No drugs or clinical candidates recorded.