Xian, C.Shandala, T.Preedy, V.2013-05-092013-05-092012Handbook of Growth and Growth Monitoring in Health and Disease, 2012 / Preedy, V. (ed./s), Ch.170, pp.2857-28709781441917942http://hdl.handle.net/2440/77597Ligands of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R), known to be important for supporting embryonic tissue development particularly in the gut and brain, have also been implicated in regulating postnatal somatic growth. While optimal levels of both milk-borne and endogenous EGF-R ligands are important for supporting postnatal somatic growth through regulating gastrointestinal growth and maturation, supra-physiological levels of EGF-R ligands can cause retarded and disproportionate growth and alter body composition as they increase growth of epithelial tissues but decrease masses of muscle, fat, and bone. EGF-R ligands can exert influence on growth indirectly via regulating levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) and its binding proteins (IGFBPs); EGFR ligands can also directly regulate bone growth and modeling, as they can enhance proliferation but suppress maturation of growth plate chondrocytes (for building a calcified cartilage scaffold for bone deposition) and osteoblasts (for depositing bone matrix), and promote formation and function of osteoclasts (for resorption of calcified cartilage or bone). In addition, EGF-R ligands, in particular amphiregulin, can themselves be regulated by parathyroid hormone (PTH), an important regulatory factor in bone modeling and remodeling. Finally, EGF-R ligands can regulate bone homeostasis by regulating pool of progenitor cells in the bone marrow through promoting their proliferation but suppressing differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.enCopyright 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLCEGF familyEGF-R or ErbB receptorssomatic growthbody compositionIGF-IIGFBPbone growthgrowth plateosteoblastsosteoclastsbone resorptionmesenchymal stem cellsBook chapter002012225210.1007/978-1-4419-1795-9_1702-s2.0-8492323198722997Xian, C. [0000-0002-8467-2845]