Epidermal growth factor (EGF)

Despite the wealth of information concerning EGF and its related peptides, its precise role in the control of gastrointestinal functions is still not fully resolved. However, there is no doubt that it can have some very potent effects on the gastrointestinal tract. These may be related to the control of growth and development and to the regular control of cell renewal. Nevertheless, in the adult, EGF may only be active in response to luminal damage and repair, and furthermore this may also only occur if the luminal EGF is protected from proteolytic degradation. Notwithstanding this, ‘EGF’-like responses may be evoked in the gut by intestinal TGF-α. The possible therapeutic use of EGF and members of its family in ulcer therapy will be discussed in later Chapters of this volume, other potential uses are in the control of necrotising enteritis and in the alleviation of the mucositis associated with cancer treatment.