Gangarosa L M, Dempsey P J, Damstrup L, Barnard J A, Coffey R J
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
Baillieres Clin Gastroenterol. 1996 Mar;10(1):49-63. doi: 10.1016/s0950-3528(96)90039-1.
Major advances in understanding growth factor biology, especially in epithelial cells, have resulted from work with TGF-alpha over the past decade. It is clear that TGF-alpha is a potent epithelial oncoprotein, but equally important biological activities in normal epithelial homeostasis have been described. A number of major challenges lie ahead. Foremost is the formidable task of dissecting out the individual contributions of each EGF-related peptide in the biological response to stimulation of the EGFR. Appreciation of the complexity of heterodimerization of receptors within the EGFR family will be equally important in the final analysis. These considerations assure the continued vitality and productivity of investigation of the EGF-related peptide/EGFR axis.
在过去十年中，对生长因子生物学的深入理解，尤其是在上皮细胞方面，取得了重大进展，这都归功于对转化生长因子α（TGF-α）的研究。很明显，TGF-α是一种强大的上皮癌蛋白，但它在正常上皮内环境稳定中同样具有重要的生物学活性。未来仍有许多重大挑战。首要的是一项艰巨的任务，即剖析每种表皮生长因子（EGF）相关肽在对表皮生长因子受体（EGFR）刺激的生物学反应中的各自贡献。最终分析中，认识到EGFR家族内受体异二聚化的复杂性同样重要。这些考量确保了对EGF相关肽/EGFR轴的研究将持续充满活力并富有成果。
