Fig. 3From: Tissue fibrosis induced by radiotherapy: current understanding of the molecular mechanisms, diagnosis and therapeutic advancesExtracellular signaling regulates fibrosis. The process of fibrosis induced by ionizing radiation is mediated by several extracellular molecules. One of the most important groups is the cytokine family, TGF-β, an important factor in the regulation of fibrosis, which can be involved in regulating the expression of fibrosis-related genes through Smad-dependent and Smad-independent pathways. In addition, extracellular Wnt signaling pathway may also be involved in regulating fibrosis gene expression by activating intracellular β-catenin signaling pathway. Cytokines such as IL-1β and IL-10 are also involved in regulating fibrosis gene expression. (Figure was created with https://www.Biorender.com)Back to article page