The angiogenic factor, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), is sequestered and protected by binding to heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) in the subendothelial extracellular matrix (ECM). Release of ECM-bound bFGF provides a novel mechanism for regulation of cell proliferation and neovascularization in normal and pathologic situations. Exposure of ECM to thrombin, the final activation produ...

Intracellular sugars are more reactive glycosylating agents than glucose. In vitro nonenzymatic glycosylation of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) by fructose, glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), or glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P) reduced high affinity heparin-binding activity of recombinant bFGF by 73, 77, and 89%, respectively. Mitogenic activity was reduced 40, 50, and 90%. To investigate the ef...

Photo-crosslinkable and biodegradable Pluronic/heparin composite hydrogels were fabricated for local and sustained delivery of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) to induce angiogenesis. Terminally di-acrylated Pluronic F127 and vinyl group conjugated heparin were used as a mixed macromer precursor solution to prepare a photo-crosslinkable hydrogel. An aqueous solution containing the two macr...

BACKGROUND The important role of angiogenesis displaying in tumor development and metastasis has been generally realized. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and endostatin (ES) are critical members of angiogenesis modulating the balance between pro-angiogenenic and anti-angiogenenic factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the circulating leve...

Introduction: Factors and other stimuli that lead to the release of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) from endothelial cells may be essential for physiological processes such as development and angiogenesis. The release mechanisms are somewhat obscure and it has previously been shown that in the case of shear stress induced bFGF release cell matrix interaction is critically mediating that b...

BACKGROUND Hyperlipidemia inhibits proliferation of endothelial cells (ECs) in culture and angiogenesis in vivo and in arterial explants. Elucidation of the mechanisms may suggest novel therapies against atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) expression and mitogenic effects were assessed in bovine aortic ECs incubated with oxidized LDL (ox-LDL). Compared w...

In guiding hES cell technology toward the clinic, one key issue to be addressed is to culture and maintain hES cells much more safely and economically in large scale. In order to avoid using mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) we isolated human fetal liver stromal cells (hFLSCs) from 14 weeks human fetal liver as new human feeder cells. hFLSCs feeders could maintain hES cells for 15 passages (ab...

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) are obligatory for receptor binding and mitogenic activity of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The capacity of various species of heparin and heparan sulfate (HS) to promote bFGF receptor binding was investigated using both Chinese hamster ovary mutant cells deficient in cell surface HSPG and a soluble bFGF receptor-alkaline phosphatase fusion protein....

Ewing’s sarcoma is thought to arise after developmental arrest of primitive neural cells during embryogenesis. Because basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) has a critical role in the regulation of cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation during embryogenesis, we have tested the hypothesis that bFGF and FGF receptors may contribute to the development of Ewing’s sarcoma and may provide ...

Ewing's sarcoma is thought to arise after developmental arrest of primitive neural cells during embryogenesis. Because basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) has a critical role in the regulation of cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation during embryogenesis, we have tested the hypothesis that bFGF and FGF receptors may contribute to the development of Ewing's sarcoma and may provide ...