Clinical applications of epidermal growth factor

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a molecule with a broad pharmacological activity which has been used clinically, with promising results, to treat patients affected by necrotizing enterocolitis, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, gastrointestinal ulceration and congenital microvillus atrophy. In theory, EGF may find a clinical application in a variety of other pathologies of both the gastrointestinal tract and other systems. Examples of gastrointestinal diseases that could benefit from treatment with EGF include colitis, gastrointestinal ulcerations of various causes, atrophic conditions, conditions of defective maturation and development and even cancer. However, the clinical use of EGF may be associated with a variety of problems and side-effects; careful selection of patients and evaluation of risk-benefit ratios are required.