Recombinant Human FGF-20

Fibroblast growth factor 20 (FGF-20) is a secreted heparin binding growth factor and member of the FGF family. Proteins of this family play a central role during prenatal development, postnatal growth and regeneration of a variety of tissues, by promoting cellular proliferation and differentiation.¹ FGF-20 is most similar to FGF-9 and FGF-16. It signals through a variety of FGF receptors and is known to bind to heparin. FGF-20 is expressed in normal brain, particularly the cerebellum, and in some cancer cell lines. It is expressed preferentially in the substantia nigra pars compacta of the rat brain.² Expression of FGF-20 and DKK-1 is regulated by β-catenin during development and tumorigenisis, implying that FGF-20 may play a role in the oncogenisis induced by the Wnt signaling pathway.³ In NIH 3T3 cells, FGF-20 expression causes a transformed phenotype and these transformed cells are tumorigenic in nude mice.⁴ Recombinant rat FGF-20 is one of the neurotrophic factors, which enhances the survival of midbrain dopaminergic neurons in vitro. It has been demonstrated to possess therapeutic activity in two experimental models of intestinal inflammation.⁴