A. Guglietta et Pb. Sullivan, CLINICAL-APPLICATIONS OF EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR, European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology, 7(10), 1995, pp. 945-950
Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a molecule with a broad pharmacologic
al activity which has been used clinically, with promising results, to
treat patients affected by necrotizing enterocolitis, Zollinger-Ellis
on syndrome, gastrointestinal ulceration and congenital microvillus at
rophy. In theory, EGF may find a clinical application in a variety of
other pathologies of both the gastrointestinal tract and other systems
. Examples of gastrointestinal diseases that could benefit from treatm
ent with EGF include colitis, gastrointestinal ulcerations of various
causes, atrophic conditions, conditions of defective maturation and de
velopment and even cancer. However, the clinical use of EGF may be ass
ociated with a variety of problems and side-effects; careful selection
of patients and evaluation of risk-benefit ratios are required.