Keratinocyte Growth Factor(KGF) is a 18.9 kDa growth factor, spanning 163 amino acids, belongs to the fibroblast growth factor family. It includes a secretory signal sequence and shares 39% identity with FGF-Basic. It is expressed in a number of stromal fibroblast cell lines, mesenchymal cells but absent from normal glial cells and epithelial cell lines.
Keratinocyte Growth Factor(KGF) stimulates proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes and other cells in the epithelium. It induces chemotaxis of microvascular endothelial cells and neovascularization of rat cornea. It stimulates the hyaluronic acid synthesis in proliferating and migrating basal cells. KGF contributes to the survival of cells under stress conditions. KGF is highly expressed in injured and inflamed epithelial cells, thereby, promotes wound healing.
