Growth factors in lung development and disease: friends or foe?

Growth factors mediate tissue interactions and regulate a variety of cellular functions that are critical for normal lung development and homeostasis. Besides their involvement in lung pattern formation, growth and cell differentiation during organogenesis, these factors have been also implicated in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Respiratory research 2001-10, Vol.3 (1), p.2-2, Article 2
Main Authors: Desai, Tushar J, Cardoso, Wellington V
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
airway branching
Analysis
Animals
Care and treatment
Cell differentiation
Diagnosis
Growth factors
Growth Substances - metabolism
Growth Substances - therapeutic use
Health aspects
Homeopathy
Humans
Lung - growth & development
Lung - metabolism
lung development
Lung diseases
Lung Diseases - drug therapy
Lung Diseases - metabolism
lung injury-repair
Materia medica and therapeutics
Risk factors
Therapeutics
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Summary:Growth factors mediate tissue interactions and regulate a variety of cellular functions that are critical for normal lung development and homeostasis. Besides their involvement in lung pattern formation, growth and cell differentiation during organogenesis, these factors have been also implicated in modulating injury-repair responses of the adult lung. Altered expression of growth factors, such as transforming growth factor beta1, vascular endothelial growth factor and epidermal growth factor, and/or their receptors, has been found in a number of pathological lung conditions. In this paper, we discuss the dual role of these molecules in mediating beneficial feedback responses or responses that can further damage lung integrity; we shall also discuss the basis for their prospective use as therapeutic agents.
ISSN:1465-993X
1465-9921
1465-993X
DOI:10.1186/rr169