Issues within Keratinocyte Growth Factor (KGF) research

As the seventh member of Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) family, Keratinocyte Growth Factor (KGF or FGF-7) is observed to mediate epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation in a variety of tissues. In this article, such following issues within KGF research were reviewed, as (1) KGF functioning pathways: experimental results demonstrated the paracrine pathway of KGF played main role in mesenchymal-epithelial interactions whereas KGF itself was under the control of a feedback regulation, autocrine provided KGF alternative functioning way particularly in tumourogenesis; (2) KGF in apoptosis: a few of investigations recently illustrated KGF mediated cell survival was based on its mitogenic function via stimulating cell growth, moreover KGF could inhibit the ROS-induced apoptosis through Nrf-2 pathway; (3) KGF during tumourogenesis: high expression of KGF enhanced progression, motility and invasiveness of tumor cells and various cancers, in company with paracrine loop replaced by autocrine loop, meanwhile KGF clearly played the early signal in the progression of breast cancer; (4) Medical application and administration of KGF: KGF had been successfully used in several preclinical models of radiation and chemotherapy-induced mucositis, and developed into commercial medicine (i.e. Palifermin), however more effective delivery systems are still under trial.