Description
Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) is a paracrine cellular growth, motility and morphogenicfactor. It belongs to the peptidase S1 family and Plasminogen subfamily, contains 4 kringle domains, 1 PANdomain and 1 peptidase S1 domain. HGF regulates cell growth, cell motility, and morphogenesis by activatinga tyrosine kinase signaling cascade after binding to the proto-oncogenic c-Met receptor. HGF is secreted bymesenchymal cells and acts as a multi-functional cytokine on cells of mainly epithelial origin. Its ability tostimulate mitogenesis, cell motility, and matrix invasion gives it a central role in angiogenesis, tumorogenesis,and tissue regeneration.