HGF Antibody

Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) is a paracrine cellular growth, motility and morphogenic factor. This gene is mapped to 7q21.11. It is secreted by mesenchymal cells and targets and acts primarily uponepithelial cells and endothelial cells, but also acts on haemopoietic progenitor cells. It has been shown to have a major role in embryonic organ development, specifically in myogenesis, in adult organ regeneration and in wound healing. HGF can regulate cell growth, cell motility, and morphogenesis by activating a tyrosine kinase signaling cascade after binding to the proto-oncogenic c-Met receptor. HGF also serves as a paracrine mediator to control placental development and growth. HGF was identified as one of the liver sinusoidal endothelial cell-derived paracrine mediators promoting hepatocyte growth.