Abstract
Many growth factors and cytokines are present in extracellular matrices and on cell surfaces. These interactions are mainly mediated by proteoglycans. Growth factors and cytokines may bind glycosaminoglycan moiety or core protein of proteoglycans. In vitro studies have demonstrated that the binding with proteoglycans can alter stability, potency, diffusibility, and affinity to their receptors of growth factors and cytokines. It is becoming clearer that the interaction with proteoglycans plays a crucial role in the regulation of growth factors and cytokines in vivo.
