Growth factor

From Citizendium
Revision as of 21:27, 18 September 2013 by imported>Robert Badgett
Jump to navigation Jump to search

In biology and medicine, growth factors are intercellular signaling peptides and proteins that are "regulatory proteins and peptides that are signaling molecules involved in the process of paracrine communication. They are generally considered factors that are expressed by one cell and are responded to by receptors on another nearby cell. They are distinguished from hormones in that their actions are local rather than distal."[1]

Examples growth factors with related chemotherapeutic agents.
Growth factor Chemotherapeutic agent Malignancy
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase Crizotinib Anaplastic large-cell lymphoma
ALK-positive non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC)
Angiogenic proteins Bevacizumab Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC)
Breast cancer
Colorectal cancer
Endothelial growth factors
Epidermal growth factor Cetuximab
Afatinib]
Erlotinib
Gefitinib
Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC)
Pancreatic cancer
Fibroblast growth factors
Nerve growth factor
Somatomedins
Tumor necrosis factors
Vascular endothelial growth factors

References