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Glycosylation is a common posttranslational modifica-tion on membrane-associated and secreted proteins that is of pivotal importance for regulating cell functions.Aberrant glycosylation can lead to uncontrolled cell proliferation,cell-matrix interactions,migration and dif-ferentiation,and has been shown to be involved in cancer and other diseases.The epithelial-to-mesenchy-mal transition is a key step in the metastatic process by which cancer cells gain the ability to invade tissues and extravasate into the bloodstream.This cellular trans-formation process,which is associated by morphologi-cal change,loss of epithelial traits and gain of mesenchymal markers,is triggered by the secreted cytokine transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β).TGF-β bioactivity is carefully regulated,and its effects on cells are mediated by its receptors on the cell surface.In this review,we first provide a brief overview of major types of glycans,namely,N-glycans,O-glycans,glycosphin-golipids and glycosaminoglycans that are involved in cancer progression.Thereafter,we summarize studies on how the glycosylation of TGF-β signaling compo-nents regulates TGF-β secretion,bioavailability and TGF-β receptor function.Then,we review glycosylation changes associated with TGF-β-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in cancer.Identifying and understanding the mechanisms by which glycosylation affects TGF-β signaling and downstream biological responses will facilitate the identification of glycans as biomarkers and enable novel therapeutic approaches.