Epidermal growth factor and diabetes mellitus; friends or faux?

Abstract

Diabetes being the most common chronic metabolic disorder has a number of complications that affect various parts of the body. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is well known for its healing capacity. In this article we review the two way relationship between diabetes and EGF, where the former needs to block the latter’s secretion and reduce its expression on order to produce its notorious complications. On the contrary, the latter is capable of reversing the former’s negative adverse effect on various organs of the body. We also shed some light on different studies in the literature that investigated the role of EGF in the dynamics of diabetes, and gain a deeper insight towards the possible applications of local and systemic treatment with EGF in the management of diabetic complications. We also try to answer some questions: EGF and diabetes; Friends or faux? and will EGF be the future trend in reversing damage caused by diabetes and wound healing? Key words: Submandibular salivary gland, epidermal growth factor, diabetes, streptozotocin, wound healing