title: Connective tissue growth factor: what's in a name?
abstract: Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a member of the recently described CCN gene family which contains CTGF itself, cyr61, nov, elm1, Cop1, and WISP-3. CTGF is transcriptionally activated by several factors although its stimulation by transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) has attracted considerable attention. CTGF acts to promote fibroblast proliferation, migration, adhesion, and extracellular matrix formation, and its overproduction is proposed to play a major role in pathways that lead to fibrosis, especially those that are TGF-beta-dependent. This includes fibrosis of major organs, fibroproliferative diseases, and scarring. CTGF also appears to play a role in the extracellular matrix remodeling that occurs in normal physiological processes such as embryogenesis, implantation, and wound healing. However, recent advances have shown that CTGF is involved in diverse autocrine or paracrine actions in several other cell types such as vascular endothelial cells, epithelial cells, neuronal cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and cells of supportive skeletal tissues. Moreover, in some circumstances CTGF has negative effects on cell growth in that it can be antimitotic and apoptotic. In light of these discoveries, CTGF has been implicated in a diverse variety of processes that include neovascularization, transdifferentiation, neuronal scarring, atherosclerosis, cartilage differentiation, and endochondral ossification. CTGF has thus emerged as a potential important effector molecule in both physiological and pathological processes and has provided a new target for therapeutic intervention in fibrotic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital and Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43205, USA.
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Moussad
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Brigstock
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000502:physiology; D055514:Nephroblastoma Overexpressed Protein; D009417:Nerve Tissue / Q000502:physiology; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C526317:CCN2 protein, human; C526319:CCN3 protein, human; D006133:Growth Substances; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D055514:Nephroblastoma Overexpressed Protein; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor