Inhibition of fibroblast growth factors

Summary The potential roles of members of the fibroblast growth factor family in tumor angiogenesis and metastasis and their mechanisms of release from cells are discussed. Furthermore, we review methods of therapeutic targeting of these polypeptides. In particular, we focus on the possibility to inhibit fibroblast growth factors with drugs that mimic heparin-like cellular binding sites and thus can interfere with growth factor receptor recognition. In addition, we discuss antibodies, antisense oligodeoxynucleotides, and ribozymes as approaches to inhibit production and activity of these growth factors.List of abbreviations aFGF acidic fibroblast growth factor (=FGF-1) - bFGF basic FGF (=FGF-2) - HBGF heparin-binding growth factor - HGF hepatocyte growth factor - HSPG heparansulfate proteoglycan - PTN pleiotrophin - TGF transforming growth factor - VEGF vascular endothelial cell growth factorPresented at the symposium "New Approaches in the Therapy of Breast Cancer", Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, October 1994, generously supported by an education grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb.