Insulin-like growth factors in embryonic and fetal growth and skeletal development (Review)

  • Authors:
    • Georgios D. Agrogiannis
    • Stavros Sifakis
    • Efstratios S. Patsouris
    • Anastasia E. Konstantinidou
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  • Published online on: May 21, 2014     https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2014.2258
  • Pages: 579-584
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Abstract

The insulin-like growth factors (IGF)-I and -II have a predominant role in fetal growth and development. IGFs are involved in the proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of fetal cells in vitro and the IGF serum concentration has been shown to be closely correlated with fetal growth and length. IGF transcripts and peptides have been detected in almost every fetal tissue from as early in development as pre‑implantation to the final maturation stage. Furthermore, IGFs have been demonstrated to be involved in limb morphogenesis. However, although ablation of Igf genes in mice resulted in growth retardation and delay in skeletal maturation, no impact on outgrowth and patterning of embryonic limbs was observed. Additionally, various molecular defects in the Igf1 and Igf1r genes in humans have been associated with severe intrauterine growth retardation and impaired skeletal maturation, but not with truncated limbs or severe skeletal dysplasia. The conflicting data between in vitro and in vivo observations with regard to bone morphogenesis suggests that IGFs may not be the sole trophic factors involved in fetal skeletal growth and that redundant mechanisms may exist in chondro- and osteogenesis. Further investigation is required in order to elucidate the functions of IGFs in skeletal development.
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August-2014
Volume 10 Issue 2

Print ISSN: 1791-2997
Online ISSN:1791-3004

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Spandidos Publications style
Agrogiannis GD, Sifakis S, Patsouris ES and Konstantinidou AE: Insulin-like growth factors in embryonic and fetal growth and skeletal development (Review). Mol Med Rep 10: 579-584, 2014
APA
Agrogiannis, G.D., Sifakis, S., Patsouris, E.S., & Konstantinidou, A.E. (2014). Insulin-like growth factors in embryonic and fetal growth and skeletal development (Review). Molecular Medicine Reports, 10, 579-584. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2014.2258
MLA
Agrogiannis, G. D., Sifakis, S., Patsouris, E. S., Konstantinidou, A. E."Insulin-like growth factors in embryonic and fetal growth and skeletal development (Review)". Molecular Medicine Reports 10.2 (2014): 579-584.
Chicago
Agrogiannis, G. D., Sifakis, S., Patsouris, E. S., Konstantinidou, A. E."Insulin-like growth factors in embryonic and fetal growth and skeletal development (Review)". Molecular Medicine Reports 10, no. 2 (2014): 579-584. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2014.2258