Aspects of the disclosure relate to polypeptides comprising a signal peptide, an antigen-binding domain that specifically binds TGF-β, a peptide spacer, a transmembrane domain, and an endodomain. When expressed in a cell, the polypeptides are capable of not only neutralizing the TGF-β but also specifically triggering T-cell activation in the presence of TGF-β. T-cell activation spurs the immune cell to produce immunostimulatory cytokines and proliferate, thus turning TGF-β from an immunosuppressive signal to an activating stimulus.