Review Article: Reasons for Underrating the Potential of Human Epidermal Growth Factor in Medical Applications

Human epidermal growth factor (EGF) was first found to be present in a pregnant woman’s urine sample in the mid-1970s [1]. Prior to this discovery, mouse EGF was first isolated and shown to promote incisor eruption and eyelid opening in murine neonates in 1962 [2]. Since then EGF was shown to exhibit a variety of physiological functions in animals such as healing of epidermal wounds [3], corneal injuries [4] and burns [5]. Recently, with human subjects, EGF has been shown to be effective in promoting treatments of both acute and chronic wounds, including scalds, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, diabetic foot ulcers and bedsores [6]. Moreover, EGF has also been exploited for enhancing skin tone and texture in cosmetic industry in the last two decades [7].