1. Science and clinical studies: No peer review clinical data was found on the effects associated with epidermal growth factor (EGF/TGF). However, several in vitro studies are obtainable. A bioassay for EGF reported by Carpenter and Zendegui was described as rapid, specific, and extremely sensitive (27). The bioassay detects as little as 25 pg of EGF and was considered more sensitive than commonly used radioreceptor assays and nearly as sensitive as radioimmuno assays. The bioassay involved measurement of the proliferation of cultures of an EGF-requiring cell line and can be carried out in a quantitative manner over a 40-fold range of EGF concentrations. One in vivo study in rabbits evaluated wound healing with a placebo ointment and one containing EGF (28). Less wound contracture occurred in the EGF-treated wounds, and wound maturation occurred earlier. The healed wounds that had been treated with EGF more closely resembled the surrounding normal tissue, producing less local deformity than in the controls. A study evaluating the epidemiological and experimental evidence that dietary polyphenolic plant-derived compounds have anticancer activity is also note worthy (29). The investigators found that green tea components induce apoptosis via a TGF-beta superfamily protein, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug activated gene (NAG-1) and showed that ECG is the strongest NAG-1 inducer among the tested catechins and that treatment of HCT-116 cells results in an increasing G(1) sub-population, and cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), consistent with apoptosis. The data generated by this study elucidate mechanisms of action for components in green tea and was hopeful in leading to the design of more effective anticancer agents and informed clinical trials (30).
2. Key benefits: May facilitate wound healing.
3. Primary adverse effects: None reported.
4. Practical applications in dermatology: May accelerate normal wound healing in patients under going evasive cosmetic procedures.