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Fibroblast
Growth Factors
Michael Lam, MD, MPH
www.DrLam.com
(READING TIPS: For fast reading, scan through the topic headings in BOLD BLACK, important conclusions in BOLD
BLUE, and " Must Know " in BOLD RED. To jump to specific sections in this article, click on
the respective LINKS in the Contents.
| Before You Begin
Information presented here is for general
educational purposes only. Each one of us is biochemically and metabolically
different. If you have a specific health concern and wish my personalized
nutritional recommendation, write to me by clicking
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Contents:
What do Growth Factors Do
What is Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF)
Conjugated FGF
What is the anti-aging effect of FGF
Research and Medical Use
Contraindications
Conclusion
Growth factors (GF) are small
protein chains, commonly known as polypeptides that bind to
cell surface receptor sites and exert actions directly on the target cells.
This is generally done through cellular proliferation and or differentiation.
Some GFs exert a generalized effect, while others are cell and action specific.
There are many different classes of GFs. Some common ones are: Insulin-like
Growth Factor (IGF-1) which is responsible for much of the Growth Hormone
(GH) action in the body, Interleukins (IL), Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGF),
Transforming Growth Factor (TGF), Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), Epidermal
Growth Factor (EGF), Transforming Growth Factors-b (TGFs-b), and erythropoietin
(EPO).
GFs come from a wide variety of sources. Epithelial Growth Factors (EGF)
comes from sub maxillary gland, erythropoietin comes from the kidney, and
FGF comes from a wide range of cells. A unique family of growth factors
that are secreted primarily by leukocytes (white blood cells) are called
cytokines. When such cytokines are secreted by lymphocytes, they are called
lymphokines. Many of the lymphokines are also known as interleukins (ILs).
Not only are interleukins secreted by leukocytes, but they also retain the
ability to affect the cellular responses of leukocytes.
What do Growth Factors Do?
Different GFs have different jobs to do. Generally, all of them work at
the cellular level to:
Repair damaged cells
Enhance cellular proliferation
Maintain optimum function of the target organ
Rejuvenate aging tissues
While hormones are generally more specific and sometimes work through other
mediations elicited from their simulation of intermediate organs, GFs often
act directly on the target tissue and have a wide range of effects.
Its action is mostly stimulatory. It can also work synergistically
with other GFs or hormones to elicit a biological effect. Growth hormones,
for example, exert their effects in the body via Insulin-like Growth Factor
(IGF-1). In other words, it is the IGF-1 that actually carries out the function
of the growth hormone and not growth hormone itself.
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