von Recklinghausen neurofibroma produces neuronal and glial growth-modulating factors.

Two kinds of novel neural trophic factors were currently detected in von Recklinghausen neurofibroma (NF1) extracts. One of the two was a growth factor, neuroblastoma growth factor (Mr less than 5 kDa), which promotes the proliferation of human neuroblastoma cell and survival and neurite-extension of rat cortical neurons, but differently from nerve growth factor (NGF) or NGF-like factors. The other one was a glial growth inhibitor (Mr = 100 kDa), which suppresses the growth of glioma cell lines, astrocytoma, glioblastoma, oligodendroglioma and Schwannoma. These factors do not appear to be previously identified cytokines or growth factors such as interleukins, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, NGF and fibroblast growth factor. There was also detectable ciliary neurotrophic factor-like activity in the extracts. The primary cause of high contents of these factors in NF1 is not known, but may relate to fundamental mechanisms controlling growth and differentiation of neurons and glias during development of nervous system.