VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR

摘要

Growth factors, their component polypeptides, methods of making them, polynucleotides encoding them, and methods of using them are disclosed. The growth factors are homodimeric or heterodimeric proteins having component polypeptide chains that each comprises a sequence of amino acid residues that is at least 80 % identical in amino acid sequence to residues 109 to 197 of SEQ ID NO:2. The growth factors are mitogenic for fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells, and may be used therapeutically or in vitro to stimulate cell growth, or to develop inhibitors of cell growth.