BACKGROUND Expression of scatter factor (SF), also known as hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and its receptor, c-met, is often associated with malignant progression of human tumors, including gliomas. Overexpression of SF/HGF in experimental gliomas enhances tumorigenicity and tumor-associated angiogenesis (i.e., growth of new blood vessels). However, the role of endogenous SF/HGF or c-met expre...

The role of paracrine Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) in the resistance to angiogenesis inhibitors (AIs) is hidden in xenograft models because mouse HGF fails to fully activate human MET. To uncover it, we compared the efficacy of AIs in wild-type and human HGF knock-in SCID mice bearing orthotopic human colorectal tumors. Species-specific HGF/MET signaling dramatically impaired the response to ...

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play an important role in favoring tumor progression. However, little is known concerning expression of miRNA-200a and its potential target gene hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in CAFs. In the present study, we investigated expression levels and prognostic significance of miRNA-200a and HGF in stromal fibroblasts of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and eva...

There is no specific treatment to improve the functional recovery in the chronic stage of ischemic stroke. To provide the new therapeutic options, we examined the effect of overexpression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in the chronic stage of cerebral infarction by transferring the HGF gene into the brain using hemagglutinating virus of Japan envelope vector. Sixty rats were exposed to perma...

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a potent mitogen and motogen for various epithelial cells. The present study aimed to explore the role of HGF and c-Met receptor in ultrafine carbon particle-induced alveolar type II epithelial (type II) cell proliferation. ICR mice were intratracheally instilled with 100 μg ultrafine carbon black (ufCB) and killed at 21, 48, and 72 days postexposure to examine...

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been shown to protect renal epithelial cells against apoptosis. To define the mechanism by which HGF inhibits apoptosis, we investigated the effect of HGF on the phosphorylation and expression of the Bcl-2 family proteins. Using a human proximal tubular epithelial cell (HKC) line as a model, we demonstrated that constitutive expression of HGF conveyed marked r...

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) induces migration, proliferation, and branching in renal epithelial cells from the inner medullary collecting duct (mIMCD-3 cells). Microarray analysis after HGF stimulation of these cells revealed upregulation of the chemokine KC. We found that both the message and protein levels of KC are increased after HGF treatment and that mIMCD-3 cells express the KC recept...

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a stromally derived modulator of epithelial cell proliferation and motility. In the present study, we have measured immunoreactive (ir)-HGF concentration in tumor extracts of 258 primary human breast cancers using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and have evaluated its association with disease-free and overall survival. The median value of ir-HGF concentrat...

BACKGROUND Pulmonary fibrosis may result from abnormal alveolar wound repair after injury. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) improves alveolar epithelial wound repair in the lung. Stem cells were shown to play a major role in lung injury, repair and fibrosis. We studied the presence, origin and antifibrotic properties of HGF-expressing stem cells in usual interstitial pneumonia. METHODS Immunohi...

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a promising agent for the treatment of intractable liver disease, due to its mitogenic, anti-apoptotic, and anti-fibrotic effects. We investigated the effect of recombinant human HGF (rh-HGF) on the development of both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and preneoplastic nodules in rats fed a choline-deficient L-amino acid-defined (CDAA) diet, an animal model of he...