Growth Factors in Biology and Medicine -No. 116

Growth factors in biology and medicine Ciba Foundation Symposium 116 Chairman: Sir Michael Stoker 1985 An important current theme in biomedical research is the regulation of growth and development at the molecular and cellular level. Linked to this is the search for a means of controlling proliferative diseases, especially cancer. In this symposium, key research workers discuss the relationship between growth factors, their specific cell surface receptors, the cellular and viral oncogenes, and mitogenesis. The part that growth factors may play in malignant transformation, atherosclerosis, embryonic development and normal and abnormal haemopoiesis is debated. The main factors considered here are epidermal growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, the haemopoietic growth factors, and nerve growth factor (a non-mitogenic, neurotrophic factor). The emphasis of the symposium is on the molecular biology of growth factors and their receptors and the analysis of the intracellular events that follow receptor-ligand interaction. Specific topics include the relationship of the EGF receptor to the v-erb-B transforming protein, the role of protein phosphorylation in growth control, receptors for phorbol ester tumour promoters and their putative endogenous ligands, and a newly described regulatory factor which both inhibits and stimulates cell growth. Other Ciba Foundation Symposia published by Pitman: No 113: Retinoids, differentiation and disease Chairman: M.B. Sporn 1985 ISBN 0 272 79813 4 No 114: Fibrosis Chairman: A.J. Bailey 1985 ISBN 0 272 79814 2 No 117: Photoperiodism, melatonin and the pineal Chairman: R.V. Short 1985 ISBN 0 272 79821 5 No 118: Biochemistry of macrophages Chairman: Z.A. Cohn 1985 ISBN 0 272 79822 3