Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) is a protein that acts as a cell growth factor. By binding to its receptor protein MET on the cell membrane, it exerts its physiological functions such as proliferation and migration of cells, as well as tissue repair and regeneration. For a cancer tissue however, since it promotes invasion and survival of cancer cells, it can play roles in cancer metastasis and acquisition of resistance against anti-cancer drugs. HGF exists in a precursor form, inactive HGF, in various tissues, but the precursor is converted into active HGF only in the vicinity of cancer cells. Because of this reason, molecules that selectively detect/inhibit active HGF are highly desirable but have not been described so far.
* This article was originally published here
