Abstract
Protein growth factors regulate many of the processes in vitro that are essential for the process of normal ocular wound healing, including migration, mitosis and differentiation of cells. This has led to the hypothesis that peptide growth factors play key roles in regulating normal ocular wound healing in vivo. A corollary to this concept is that insufficient action of growth factors causes impaired healing, and prolonged action of growth factors produces excessive scarring. If both of these concepts are correct, then the addition of exogenous protein growth factors should enhance healing of chronic ocular wounds and reducing prolonged actions of growth factors should limit excessive scarring. Although much remains to be understood about the role of growth factors in ocular development and wound healing, results of a substantial number of laboratory and clinical experiments indicate that these hypotheses are generally correct. This article reviews the results of pre-clinical experiments and clinical trials investigating the roles of protein growth factors in ocular development and wound healing.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Bennett NT, Schultz GS . Growth factors and wound healing. I. Biochemical properties of growth factors and their receptors. Am J Surg 1993; 165: 728–37.
Bennett NT, Schultz GS . Growth factors and wound healing. II. Role in normal and chronic wound healing. Am J Surg 1993; 166: 74–81.
Schultz GS, Rotatori DS, Clark W . EGF and TGFαin wound healing and repair. J Cell Biochem 1991; 45: 364–52.
Schultz GS, Chegini N, Grant M, Khaw PT, MacKay SLD . Effect of growth factors on corneal wound healing. Acta Ophthalmol (Copenh) 1992; 70: 60–6.
Luetteke NC, Qui TH, Pciffcr RL, Oliver S, Lee DC . TGFαdeficiency results in hair follicle and eye abnormalities in targeted and waved-1 mice. Cell 1993; 73: 263–78.
Mann GB, Fowler KJ, Gabriel A, Nice EC, Williams RL, Dunn AR . Mice with a null mutation of the TGFαgene have abnormal skin architecture, wavy hair, and curly whiskers and often develop corneal inflammation. Cell 1993; 73: 249–61.
van Setten GB, Macauley S, Schultz GS . TGFα: presence in human tear fluid and in lacrimal gland tissue. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1993; 34(Suppl): 822.
Khaw PT, Schultz GS, MacKay SLD, Chegini N, Adams J, Shimizu R . Human corneal epithelium: autocrine production of TGFαmRNA and protein. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1992; 33: 3302–6.
Assouline A, Lamrani A, Abenhaim A, Danel P, Mignard D, Rieck P, et al. Prospective randomised trial of basic fibroblast growth factor in penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) in humans. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1993; 34(Suppl): 1374.
Oxford KW, Balch KC, Schutz GS, van Setten GB, Stern GA . Effects of TGFßon the re-epithelialisation and tensile strength of corneal wounds. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1993; 34(Suppl): 1375.
Rotatori DS, Kerr NC, Raphael B, McLaughlin BJ, Shimizu R, Stern GA, Schultz GS . Elevation of TGFαin aqueous humour of cats after endothelial injury. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1993; 35: 143–9.
Raphael B, Kerr NC, Shimizu RW, Lass JH, Crouthamel KC, Glaser SR, et al. Enhanced healing of cat endothelial wounds by EGF. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1993; 34: 2305–12.
Schultz GS, Strelow S, Stern GA, Chegini N, Grant MB, Galardy RE et al. Inhibition of corneal ulceration following severe alkali injury by a synthetic metalloproteinase inhibitor. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1992; 33: 3325–31.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Moorfields Eye Hospital. Institute of Ophthalmology, London
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schultz, G., Khaw, P., Oxford, K. et al. Growth factors and ocular wound healing. Eye 8, 184–187 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.1994.43
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.1994.43
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
A novel suprachoroidal microinvasive glaucoma implant: in vivo biocompatibility and biointegration
BMC Biomedical Engineering (2020)
-
Role of Platelet-Activating Factor in Cell Death Signaling in the Cornea: A Review
Molecular Neurobiology (2010)
-
Histopathologische und immunhistochemische Befunde nach LASIK bei Hyperopie
Spektrum der Augenheilkunde (2004)
-
The effects of growth factors and conditioned media on the proliferation of human corneal epithelial cells and keratocytes
Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology (1998)
-
Transforming growth factor-alpha is a constant component of human tear fluid
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology (1994)