Skeletal growth factor involvement in the regulation of fracture healing process.
Skeletal growth factors are peptides that serve as signalling agents for living cells, thereby participating in the autocrine, paracrine, intracrine and endocrine bioregulation of tissues and organs in human physiology. Growth factors elicit their cellular actions after binding to specific receptors, which are large transmembrane proteins located on target cells. These receptors relay signals via specific intracellular signal transduction pathways capable of regulating gene transcription, thereby modifying cell proliferation, cell function, cell differentiation and apoptosis. Notably, growth factors and their specific receptors are expressed in and around a bone fracture repair site, suggesting strongly that they play a significant role in the physio/pathology of fracture healing. Conceivably, fine adjustments of specific growth factor activity during the different stages of the fracture healing process can serve as potential therapeutic targets, enhancing bone repair capacity and reducing irregularities of the healing process.
1st Orthopaedic Department, Elpis Hospital, Department of Experimental Physiology, Athens University Medical School, Greece.
G S
GS
Themistocleous
S E
SE
Kontou
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P
Lembessis
H A
HA
Katopodis
M A
MA
Kaseta
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Themistocleous
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Koutsilieris
D000818:Animals; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II; D011506:Proteins / Q000502:physiology*
D006133:Growth Substances; C035170:IGF2 protein, human; D011506:Proteins; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II