ABSTRACT
At least 13 distinct growth factors have been detected in the milk from human and other species. These include insulin (In), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF 1), epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα), transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ), bombesin (Bn), Mammary-Derived Growth Factor I and II (MDGFI and MDGFII), colony stimulating factor (CSF), Human Milk Growth Factors I, II, and III (HMGFI, HMGFII and HMGFIII), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). The purpose of this review is to provide available information on these milk factors, their possible tissue of origin and finally, to describe some observations that support the notion that these milk constituents are physiologically important entities.
