Fibroblast growth factor-basic (FGF-Basic) is required for the maintenance of human embryonic stem cells in culture, and various other stem cell lines, such as mesenchymal stem (stroma) cells (MSC).
Fibroblast growth factor-basic (FGF-Basic) is found in basement membranes and sub-endothelial extracellular matrix. FGF-Basic is induced early in the development of the embryo where it is necessary (but not sufficient) for pluripotency and self-renewal of embryonic stem cells (ESC) and lineage defined stem cells; wherein it functions to support proliferation and inhibit differentiation. Self-renewal of hESC depends upon activation of the Activin/Nodal/Smad2,3 branch and suppression of the BMP/GDF/Smad5 branch of the TGFβ-family cell signaling program. FGF-Basic is a competence factor for Nodal support of pluripotency. Activin-A is necessary and sufficient to maintain stemness. It induces the expression of both Nodal and FGF-Basic in human ES cells.
FGF2 (fibroblast growth factor 2, also referred to as BFGF (basic fibroblast growth factor)) interacts with FGFR1 (fibroblast growth factor receptor 1), FGFR2 and FGFR3. It stimulates the proliferation of a wide variety of cells including mesenchymal, neuroectodermal and endothelial cells. FGF2 also determines the fate of neural precursor cells and promotes neuronal axon regeneration. It plays an important role in spinal cord injury repair. FGF2 is known to stimulate angiogenesis and is associated with cancer development. High levels of FGF2 are present in the kidney of children with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)-renal diseases. The FGF2 mRNA is a target of miRNA miR-503.
