Bone-derived and recombinant transforming growth factor beta's are potent inhibitors of tumor cell growth

Two naturally occurring chrondogenesis inducing peptides have been purified to homogeneity from demineralized bovine bone. Cartilage-inducing factors A and B are the bone-derived equivalents of transforming growth factor-beta types I and II. Both peptides exhibit identical biological activities in chondrogenesis assays and stimulate anchorage independent cell growth. In this study we show that both bone-derived factors are potent (ng/ml) inhibitors of both DNA synthesis and the anchorage independent growth of a variety of human and non-human tumor cells. Unique in this study is also a comparison of the activities of these polypeptide growth factors with recombinant transforming growth factor type I expressed in mammalian cells.