转化生长因子(TGF)是指两类多肽类生长因子,转化生长因子-α和转化生长因子-β。

最初的实验利用大鼠肾成纤维细胞证明这些蛋白质具有成癌转化能力而被命名为转化生长因子。外加转化生长因子对大鼠肾成纤维细胞可以诱导成纤维细胞过度增殖, 而不再受正常的细胞接触抑制。当然，取名"转化生长因子"有点人为, 因为两组蛋白结构或基因上的相互无关系, 而它们的作用也通过不同的受体机制。此外，他们并不总是诱导细胞转化。他们也不是仅有的能促使细胞转化的生长因子。另外，转化生长因子－α的受体是酪氨酸激酶受体，而转化生长因子－β的受体是丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶受体。

Transforming growth factor (sometimes referred to as Tumor growth factor, or TGF) is used to describe two classes of polypeptide growth factors, TGFα and TGFβ.

The name "Transforming Growth Factor" is somewhat arbitrary, since the two classes of TGFs are not structurally or genetically related to one another, and they act through different receptor mechanisms. Furthermore, they do not always induce cellular transformation, and are not the only growth factors that induce cellular transformation.