Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3(SMAD3) is a cytoplasm protein which belongs to the dwarfin/SMAD family. Smad proteins undergo rapid nuclear translocation upon stimulation by transforming growth factor and in so doing transduce the signal into the nucleus. Receptor-regulated SMAD is an intracellular signal transducer and transcriptional modulator activated by TGF-beta and activin type 1 receptor kinases. SMAD3 binds the TRE element in the promoter region of many genes that are regulated by TGF-beta and, on formation of the SMAD3/SMAD4 complex, activates transcription. It also can form a SMAD3/SMAD4/JUN/FOS complex at the AP-1/SMAD site to regulate TGF-beta-mediated transcription. SMAD3 has an inhibitory effect on wound healing probably by modulating both growth and migration of primary keratinocytes and by altering the TGF-mediated chemotaxis of monocytes. This effect on wound healing appears to be hormone-sensitive.