Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) (CTGF)

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), also known as CCN2, is a 38-kDa cysteine-rich matricellular protein that belongs to the CCN family (UniProt: P29279). It functions as a critical mediator of tissue remodeling by interacting with a variety of cell surface receptors, including integrins (e.g., alpha-v-beta-3, alpha-5-beta-1) and heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) such as syndecan-4 (PubMed: 22573811). These interactions facilitate CTGF's role as a signaling hub that enhances the activity of pro-fibrotic cytokines like TGF-beta and promotes extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, cell adhesion, and angiogenesis (PubMed: 19168895). Pathologically, CTGF is overexpressed in numerous fibrotic disorders, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and systemic sclerosis, as well as in various cancers where it supports tumor-stroma interactions (PubMed: 21464214). Therapeutic intervention typically focuses on neutralizing CTGF using monoclonal antibodies like pamrevlumab (FG-3019), which prevents the protein from binding to its receptors and activating downstream fibrotic pathways (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03955146). While generally well-tolerated, potential safety concerns include the theoretical risk of impaired wound healing due to the inhibition of normal tissue repair mechanisms. CTGF's multi-domain structure allows it to bind diverse ligands, making it a complex but promising target for multi-organ fibrotic diseases.

Other names

CCN2Hypertrophic chondrocyte-specific protein 24HCS24Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 8IGFBP8CCN family member 2

Monoclonal antibody-mediated neutralization of CTGF, preventing its interaction with cell surface receptors such as integrins and heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs).