The role of FGFs in the elicitation of different cellular responses

Abstract: Fibroblast growth factors are signaling peptides that controls important cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, migration, adhesion and survival. Through binding to different types of receptors on the cell surface, these peptides can have different effect on the target cell. Which effect that is achieved depends on many factors. Thus, each of the 24 known FGFs different biological responses. The FGF receptors (FGFR 1-4) initiates different intracellular pathways which in turn leads to different biological responses. The FGFs also binds different FGFs with different affinities. Finally, different types of cells express the FGFRs in different patterns and in altered extent which also affects the response. To summarize it, the response from a FGF depends on the combination of FGF, receptor and the type of cell that collaborate.