An Overview on Fibroblast Growth Factors: Structural, Functional and Therapeutic Implications

Growth factors are proteins capable of stimulating cell growth, proliferation and differentiation. The Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) family is one of the largest growth factor families, comprising of a group of structurally & functionally related family of 22 polypeptide growth factors. FGFs play their physiological roles by binding to the high affinity FGF receptors (FGFRs) expressed on the surface of the target cells. These proteins are the key players in the cell growth, differentiation, migration, morphogenesis, embryonic development, wound healing, tumor growth etc. There are also reports on the involvement of FGFs in certain diseases. However FGFs have also been shown to have immense potential for use in therapeutics. This review is an attempt to provide an insight to the FGFs, their structural and functional aspects, key biological functions along with a brief account of their implication in diseases and therapeutic uses.