Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) : role and application in intestinal disease / Gordon Stanley Howarth.

Abstract

Describes studies which extended the understanding of growth factors, particularly of IGF-I in gut growth and repair in addition to the physiological role and hence, therapeutic potential, of a range of growth factors in gastrointestinal disease. It is suggested that future evaluation of the application of growth factors to combat gastrointestinal disorders could focus on functional outcomes such as effects on intestinal absorption. In addition, the efficacy of growth factor analogues with increased bioactivity, possibly incorporated into enterally-administered growth factor formulations, either enriched in, or depleted of, certain specific growth factors, could be investigated as a novel treatment strategy for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.