Engaging Stem Cells for Customized Tendon Regeneration

Table 4

Summary of growth factors necessary in tendon regeneration.

Growth factor	Size (kDa)	Function
TGF-β	25	Promotes angiogenesis and collagen production
EGF	6.4	Mitogenic to fibroblasts and promotes collagenase activity to remodel the extracellular matrix
PDGF-β	12.3	Mitogenic to fibroblasts, chemoattractant to macrophages, and assists angiogenesis
bFGF	22–24	Released from extracellular matrix to promote angiogenesis and granulation
VEGF	38.2	Vasculogenesis and angiogenesis during tissue hypoxia
Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)	α chain: 69; β chain: 32–34	Expressed in wound fibroblasts to regulate growth, motility, and morphogenesis
BMP-12,13,14	30–38	Promotes tendon-derived stem cell differentiation into tenocytes
Early growth response factor-1 (EGR-1)	75	Transcription factor that upregulates collagen and accelerates wound closure