Cooperation of Liver Cells in the Synthesis of Growth Factors and Respective Binding Proteins

Abstract

Growth factors represent a heterogeneous group of peptides that express various effects on almost each cell type; however, the stimulation of cell proliferation represents one of their main characteristics. Both parenchymal and nonparenchymal liver cells are not only targets but also sources of some important growth factors, and of their respective binding proteins. Many growth factors produced by liver cells act not only on extrahepatic cells, but influence also functions of neighboring cells in the hepatic lobule. Some of these cell-to-cell interactions mediated by growth factors will be shortly described.