title: Cloning, expression and functional characterization of in-house prepared human basic fibroblast growth factor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Human basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) plays an important role in cellular proliferation, embryonic development, and angiogenesis as well as in several signaling pathways of various cell types. bFGF is an essential growth factor for the maintenance of undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this experimental study, we present a straightforward method to produce biologically active recombinant human bFGF protein in E. coli that has long-term storage ability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This procedure provides a rapid, cost effective purification of a soluble human bFGF protein that is biologically active and functional as measured in hESCs and hiPSCs in vitro and in vivo.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show no significant difference in function between our in-house produced and commercialized bFGF.
authors.affiliation: 1. Department of Molecular Systems Biology at Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rassouli
authors.forename: Mohammad Sharif
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Tabe Bordbar
authors.forename: Mehran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rezaei Larijani
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pakzad
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baharvand
authors.forename: Ghasem Hosseini
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Salekdeh
keywords: Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF); Cell Proliferation; Embryonic Stem Cells; Pluripotency; Recombinant Protein