Description
Platelet-Derived Endothelial Cell Growth Factor (PD-ECGF), also known as ECGF-1, Gliostatin and TPase, is an acidic, non-glycosylated protein and member of the FGF family. It is an angiogenic factor which promotes angiogenesis in vivo and stimulates the growth and chemotaxis of a variety of endothelial cells in vitro (1). PD-ECGF is produced by placenta, platelets, liver, lung, spleen, lymph nodes, and peripheral lymphocytes, and exists mostly within producer cells. It is synthesized by fibroblasts, vascular smooth muscle cells, and a number of transformed cell lines but not endothelial cells (2). Since PD-ECGF exclusively stimulates endothelial cells and is produced also by platelets, it is likely involved in the maintenance of intact blood vessels and wound healing. It is also the key enzyme involved in the pyrimidine nucleoside salvage pathway. PD-ECGF is suggested to play an important role in tumor angiogenesis, growth, invasion and metastasis, since expression levels of PD-ECGF are elevated in many malignant solid tumors (3). It is thought to promote tumor progression possibly by preventing hypoxia-induced apoptosis. Loss-of-function mutations in the PD-ECGF gene lead to mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy (MNGIE) (4)