| Summary: | Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) that signal through FGF receptors
(FGFRs) regulate a broad spectrum of biological functions, including cellular
proliferation, survival, migration, and differentiation. The FGF signal pathways are the
RAS/MAP kinase pathway, PI3 kinase/AKT pathway, and PLCγ pathway, among which the
RAS/MAP kinase pathway is known to be predominant. Several studies have recently
implicated the in vitro biological functions of FGFs for tissue regeneration. However,
to obtain optimal outcomes in vivo, it is important to enhance the half-life of FGFs and
their biological stability. Future applications of FGFs are expected when the biological
functions of FGFs are potentiated through the appropriate use of delivery systems and
scaffolds. This review will introduce the biology and cellular functions of FGFs and
deal with the biomaterials based delivery systems and their current applications for the
regeneration of tissues, including skin, blood vessel, muscle, adipose, tendon/ligament,
cartilage, bone, tooth, and nerve tissues.
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