Growth factor-mediated epithelial regeneration

Growth factor-mediated epithelial regeneration is a physiological process essential for maintaining and restoring the structural integrity of epithelial barriers in organs such as the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and lungs (Werner & Grose, 2003, Physiol Rev). This process is orchestrated by a variety of polypeptide growth factors, including Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), Keratinocyte Growth Factor (KGF/FGF7), and Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF), which bind to specific transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinases (Goke & Podolsky, 1996, Bailliere's Clin Gastroenterol). Activation of these receptors initiates intracellular signaling cascades, most notably the MAPK/ERK and PI3K/Akt pathways, which drive cellular proliferation, migration, and differentiation to repair damaged tissue (StatPearls, "Wound Healing"). In clinical practice, recombinant growth factors like Palifermin (KGF) are utilized to stimulate this process to treat chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis (FDA, Palifermin Label). While promoting regeneration is beneficial for wound healing and inflammatory diseases, chronic overactivation of these pathways is a hallmark of oncogenesis and can lead to pathological fibrosis (PubMed, PMC2703131). Consequently, this term describes a broad biological mechanism involving multiple distinct molecular targets rather than a single druggable entity.

Other names

Epithelial repairGrowth factor-induced mucosal healingEpithelial wound healingGrowth factor-mediated tissue repair

Activation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) to stimulate downstream mitogenic and motogenic signaling pathways (e.g., MAPK, PI3K).