title: Epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor alpha.
abstract: This review describes the discovery and initial characterization of the epidermal growth factors (EGFs) and transforming growth factors alpha (TGF alpha), the biosynthesis and tissue distribution of these molecules and a brief description of the effects of these molecules in culture and animals. An analysis of the similarities between the EGFs and TGF alpha s from different organisms is used to describe the features of the molecules which appear to be critical for their function. The review concludes with a discussion of the relationship between the production of the EGF or TGF alpha to cancer induction and/or metastasis.
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Burgess
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors