成纤维细胞生长因子8(FGF8)研究进展

成纤维细胞生长因子8(fibroblast growth factor 8,FGF8)是成纤维细胞生长因子(FGFs)家族的成员之一。其在人胚胎时期多种组织内进行表达,对各种器官的形成中起着重要的作用。在正常成人体内,FGF8的表达水平受到严格的限制,然而在某些癌细胞或炎症部位中大量表达,特别是在激素类癌症的发生和发展中起着重要的作用。因此应用FGF8抗体治疗激素类癌症,为临床提供了新的治疗途径。     

成纤维细胞生长因子研究进展

成纤维细胞生长因子8(fibroblast growth factor 8,FGF8)是成纤维细胞生长因子家族的成员之一,是动物组织器官发育过程中重要的分泌性调控因子.在胚胎发育的早期,FGF8广泛表达.它可以介导胚胎期的上皮和间充质的转化,在原肠的形成,早期器官如前后脑、咽、心脏、生殖器官和指等的形成和分化中都起到关键性的作用.本文就FGF8在器官发育中的作用及其研究进行概述.     

FGF8在脊椎动物早期胚胎发育中的调控作用

成纤维细胞生长因子8 (fibroblast growth factor 8,FGF8)是成纤维细胞生长因子家族的成员之一,是一种组织发育过程中的重要分泌性调控信号分子,参与脊椎动物的多种组织器官的发生与发育.早期胚胎细胞通过表达FGF8在组织和器官发育、血管发生、血细胞生成、附肢发生和伤口愈合等方面发挥着重要作用.FGF8不但可以在细胞外通过胞内信号通路,而且也可以进入细胞内部发挥生物学功能.本文就FGF8在脊椎动物神经系统、内脏器官、肢体发育及不对称发育等组织、器官发育中的调控作用予以阐述.     

FGFs/FGFRs系统对骨调节的研究进展

成纤维细胞生长因子家族(fibroblast growth factors,FGFs)及其受体FGFRs系统影响骨骼发育和形成过程,FGF与细胞表面FGFR结合,激活信号通路调控多种细胞生长、分化和凋亡。骨是FGF的重要靶器官,研究表明FGFs/FGFRs系统对骨组织成骨细胞、破骨细胞、软骨细胞的增殖和分化起重要调控作用,本文就FGFs/FGFRs系统对骨组织调节研究进展进行综述。     

成纤维细胞生长因子的生理病理作用及应用进展

成纤维细胞生长因子(fibroblast growth factors,FGFs)以旁分泌或内分泌的方式参与多种生理活动的调节,维护成体组织的正常结构、功能并参与代谢调控。FGFs通过结合配体硫酸乙酰肝素或klotho使成纤维细胞生长因子受体二聚化而发挥生物学作用。过去的十年中,FGFs结构和分子机制的研究成果改变了人们对FGF信号在人类健康和疾病发生、发展中的认识,为以FGF及其受体为靶点的药物开发带来新的突破。文章综述了FGF的生理、病理作用及最新应用研究进展。     

角质细胞生长因子的研究进展

角质细胞生长因子（KGF）是成纤维细胞生长因子（FGFs）家族的成员,即FGF－7,最初是从人胚胎肺成纤维细胞的培养上清中分离纯化获得的。成熟KGF为一163个氨基酸残基的单链多肽,分子量为26－28KD。KGF由各种来源的间质细胞分泌,受体分布于上皮细胞,其生物学活性是特异性地促进上皮细胞的增殖、迁移和分化。FGF的表达受激素和一些细胞因子的调控。有关研究表明,KGF对肺泡Ⅱ型细胞的增殖以及皮肤、胃肠道粘膜和角膜损伤的修复具有十分重要的作用。     

MiRNA对上皮-间质转化的调控作用

上皮-间质转化(epithelial-mesenchymal transition,EMT)是胚胎发育、组织分化和器官形成的重要生理过程,也是慢性炎症、器官纤维化和癌症转移等疾病的重要病理过程。近年来发现多种微RNA(microRNA,miRNA)通过靶向EMT相关蛋白,例如E-钙粘蛋白(E-cadherin)、波形蛋白(Vimentin)、Snail、ZEB和Twist等转录因子来调控EMT的发生和发展,这些例子揭示了EMT分子机制的"冰山一角",一个庞大的EMT转录后调控网络正在被发现。本文总结了miRNA对EMT相关蛋白的调控作用,并对miRNA-EMT调控网络的后续研究进行了讨论。     

成纤维细胞生长因子17研究进展

成纤维细胞生长因子17(FGF17)是成纤维细胞生长因子(FGF)家族的成员之一,并与FGF8、FGF18组成FGF8亚家族。在胚胎时期FGF17扮演重要角色,对多种组织器官起着重要作用。研究发现,FGF17不仅参与了脑部发育和神经形成,而且参与骨骼、动脉的发育和肿瘤等生物过程。现针对FGF17的特点,及其在胚胎发育、神经系统、癌症等方面的作用进行综述。     

干细胞转录因子Nanog在恶性肿瘤上皮间质转化中的作用

近年来,在世界范围内,恶性肿瘤的发病率越来越高,严重威胁着人类的身体健康和生活质量。恶性肿瘤最主要的特征之一就是侵袭和转移,一旦进入晚期阶段或者发生转移,现阶段最常用的治疗方法如外科手术、化学治疗和放射治疗等很难对其起到理想的治疗效果。上皮间质转化是指紧密的排列规则的上皮细胞转化为疏松的排列紊乱的间充质细胞。它的主要特征是上皮标志物(如E-cadherin)的表达降低和间质标记物(如N-cadherin,vimentin)的表达升高。干细胞转录因子Nanog是维持胚胎干细胞自我更新和多潜能性的重要调控因子,它参与多种恶性肿瘤的发生与进展,如子宫内膜腺癌、胃腺癌、结直肠癌和肺腺癌等。它可以通过肿瘤干细胞样作用及上皮间质转化过程来促进肺腺癌的进展。在肝癌细胞远处转移过程中Nanog也参与了上皮间质转化过程。本研究对近年来关于转录因子Nanog在恶性肿瘤细胞上皮间质转化过程中作用的研究进行了综述和讨论。     

成纤维细胞生长因子22(FGF22)的研究进展

成纤维细胞生长因子22(fibroblast growth factor 22)是成纤维细胞生长因子家族(FGFs)的成员之一。研究发现,FGF22主要在大脑和皮肤中表达并且能够影响大脑发育和神经突触的形成。由于FGF22在难治性癫痫发生机制中所发挥的特殊作用,有可能作为研究癫痫疾病的新的切入点。此外FGF22与脊髓损伤修复、神经系统疾病、皮肤癌、抑郁等疾病有着重要的联系。特别是在神经突出的形成过程中FGF22起着调节因子的作用。尽管作为重组蛋白药物的开发其功能和机制仍有待进一步研究,但相信FGF22所具备的生物学特性具有非常广阔的研究领域和应用价值。     

FGF10 maintains stem cell compartment in developing mouse incisors

Mouse incisors are regenerative tissues that grow continuously throughout life. The renewal of dental epithelium-producing enamel matrix and/or induction of dentin formation by mesenchymal cells is performed by stem cells that reside in cervical loop of the incisor apex. However, little is known about the mechanisms of stem cell compartment formation. Recently, a mouse incisor was used as a model to show that fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 10 regulates mitogenesis and fate decision of adult stem cells. To further illustrate the role of FGF10 in the formation of the stem cell compartment during tooth organogenesis, we have analyzed incisor development in Fgf10-deficient mice and have examined the effects of neutralizing anti-FGF10 antibody on the developing incisors in organ cultures. The incisor germs of FGF10-null mice proceeded to cap stage normally. However, at a later stage, the cervical loop was not formed. We found that the absence of the cervical loop was due to a divergence in Fgf10 and Fgf3 expression patterns at E16. Furthermore, we estimated the growth of dental epithelium from incisor explants of FGF10-null mice by organ culture. The dental epithelium of FGF10-null mice showed limited growth, although the epithelium of wild-type mice appeared to grow normally. In other experiments, a functional disorder of FGF10, caused by a neutralizing anti-FGF10 antibody, induced apoptosis in the cervical loop of developing mouse incisor cultures. However, recombinant human FGF10 protein rescued the cervical loop from apoptosis. Taken together, these results suggest that FGF10 is a survival factor that maintains the stem cell population in developing incisor germs.     

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 tyrosine kinase is required for prostatic morphogenesis and the acquisition of strict androgen dependency for adult tissue homeostasis

The fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family consists of 22 members and regulates a broad spectrum of biological activities by activating diverse isotypes of FGF receptor tyrosine kinases (FGFRs). Among the FGFs, FGF7 and FGF10 have been implicated in the regulation of prostate development and prostate tissue homeostasis by signaling through the FGFR2 isoform. Using conditional gene ablation with the Cre-LoxP system in mice, we demonstrate a tissue-specific requirement for FGFR2 in urogenital epithelial cells--the precursors of prostatic epithelial cells--for prostatic branching morphogenesis and prostatic growth. Most Fgfr2 conditional null (Fgfr2(cn)) embryos developed only two dorsal prostatic (dp) and two lateral prostatic (lp) lobes. This contrasts to wild-type prostate, which has two anterior prostatic (ap), two dp, two lp and two ventral prostatic (vp) lobes. Unlike wild-type prostates, which are composed of well developed epithelial ductal networks, the Fgfr2(cn) prostates, despite retaining a compartmented tissue structure, exhibited a primitive epithelial architecture. Moreover, although Fgfr2(cn) prostates continued to produce secretory proteins in an androgen-dependent manner, they responded poorly to androgen with respect to tissue homeostasis. The results demonstrate that FGFR2 is important for prostate organogenesis and for the prostate to develop into a strictly androgen-dependent organ with respect to tissue homeostasis but not to the secretory function, implying that androgens may regulate tissue homeostasis and tissue function differently. Therefore, Fgfr2(cn) prostates provide a useful animal model for scrutinizing molecular mechanisms by which androgens regulate prostate growth, homeostasis and function, and may yield clues as to how advanced-tumor prostate cells escape strict androgen regulations.     

Fibroblast growth factor 10 regulates Meckel's cartilage formation during early mandibular morphogenesis in rats

Fibroblast growth factors (FGF) are pluripotent growth factors that play pivotal roles in the development of various organs. During mandibular organogenesis, Meckel's cartilage, teeth, and mandibular bone differentiate under the control of various FGF. In the present study, we evaluated the role of FGF10 in rat mandibular chondrogenesis and morphogenesis using mandibular organ culture and mandibular cell micromass culture systems. The overexpression of Fgf10 induced by the electroporation of an FGF10 expression vector not only altered the size and shape of Meckel's cartilage, but also upregulated the expression of the cartilage characteristic genes Col2a1 and Sox9 in a mandibular organ culture system. Meckel's cartilage was deformed, and its size was increased when Fgf10 was overexpressed in the lateral area of the mandible. Meanwhile, no effect was found when Fgf10 was overexpressed in the medial portion. In the mandibular cell micromass culture, recombinant FGF10 treatment enhanced chondrogenic differentiation and endogenous ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) phosphorylation in cells derived from the lateral area of the mandible. On the other hand, FGF10 did not have significant effects on mandibular cell proliferation. These results indicate that FGF10 regulates Meckel's cartilage formation during early mandibular morphogenesis by controlling the cell differentiation in the lateral area of the mandibular process in rats.     

Fibroblast growth factor 16 and 18 are expressed in human cardiovascular tissues and induce on endothelial cells migration but not proliferation

Endothelial cells line the blood vessel and precursor endothelial cells appear to have a pivotal effect on the organ formation of the heart, the embryonic development of the kidney, and the liver. Several growth factors including the fibroblast growth factors (FGF) seem to be involved in these processes. Ligands such as basic FGF produced and secreted by endothelial cells may also coordinate cellular migration, differentiation, and proliferation under pathological conditions including wound healing, tumorgenesis, and fibrogenesis in the adult. Recently we demonstrated the expression of two secreted FGFs, FGF16, and FGF18, in HUVEC and in rat aortic tissue. In the present report, we confirmed by RT-PCR analysis that FGF18 is wildly expressed in the cardiovascular tissue, while FGF16 showed a more restricted expression pattern. HUVEC clearly demonstrated chemotaxis towards FGF16 and FGF18. Both FGFs also enhanced cell migration in response to mechanical damage. However, recombinant FGF16 and FGF18 failed to induce endothelial cell proliferation or sprouting in a three-dimensional in vitro angiogenesis assay. Fgf18 expression was earlier reported in the liver, and we detected FGF18 expression in liver vascular and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs), but not in hepatic parenchymal cells. Recombinant FGF18 stimulated DNA synthesis in primary hepatocytes, suggesting, that endothelial FGF18 might have a paracrine function in promoting growth of the parenchymal tissue. Interestingly, FGF2, which is mitogenic on endothelial cells and hepatocytes stimulates a sustained MAPK activation in both cell types, while FGF18 causes a short transient activation of the MAPK pathway in endothelial cells but a sustained activation in hepatocytes. Therefore, the difference in the time course of MAPK activation by the different FGFs appears to be the cause for the different cellular responses.     

FGF21 promotes metabolic homeostasis via white adipose and leptin in mice

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a potent metabolic regulator, and pharmacological administration elicits glucose and lipid lowering responses in mammals. To delineate if adipose tissue is the predominant organ responsible for anti-diabetic effects of FGF21, we treated mice with reduced body fat (lipodystrophy mice with adipose specific expression of active sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c; Tg) with recombinant murine FGF21 (rmuFGF21). Unlike wildtype (WT) mice, Tg mice were refractory to the beneficial effects of rmuFGF21 on body weight, adipose mass, plasma insulin and glucose tolerance. To determine if adipose mass was critical for these effects, we transplanted WT white adipose tissue (WAT) into Tg mice and treated the mice with rmuFGF21. After transplantation, FGF21 responsiveness was completely restored in WAT transplanted Tg mice compared to sham Tg mice. Further, leptin treatment alone was sufficient to restore the anti-diabetic effects of rmuFGF21 in Tg mice. Molecular analyses of Tg mice revealed normal adipose expression of Fgfr1, Klb and an 8-fold over-expression of Fgf21. Impaired FGF21-induced signaling indicated that residual adipose tissue of Tg mice was resistant to FGF21, whilst normal FGF21 signaling was observed in Tg livers. Together these data suggest that adipose tissue is required for the triglyceride and glucose, but not the cholesterol lowering efficacy of FGF21, and that leptin and FGF21 exert additive anti-diabetic effects in Tg mice.