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Autocrine growth factors and cancer

Nature volume 313, pages 745–747 (1985)Cite this article

Abstract

The ability of cancer cells to produce and to respond to their own growth factors (autocrine secretion) has become a central concept linking oncogene and growth factor research. Oncogenes confer growth factor autonomy on cells not only by coding directly for autocrine peptide growth factors or their receptors, but also by amplifying the mitogenic signals generated by a growth factor at its receptor. Antagonists of positive autocrine growth factors can inhibit growth of cancer cells in experimental animals. Recently identified negative autocrine growth factors might themselves control aberrant cell growth.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Chemoprevention, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, 20205, USA

    Michael B. Sporn & Anita B. Roberts

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  1. Michael B. Sporn
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  2. Anita B. Roberts
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Sporn, M., Roberts, A. Autocrine growth factors and cancer. Nature 313, 745–747 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/313745a0

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