Autocrine signalling

Autocrine secretion (from the Greek CARS: "self" and krinein: " separate ", " Comment" ) is a secretion from cells in which the votes hormones and hormone-like substances, such as growth factors act on the secreting cell itself. The prerequisite is that the cell has receptors for the signal substances formed from it. As with the paracrine secretion and in contrast to the endocrine secretion of the hormones go not through the blood to their " target cell ", but act in the immediate area.

Autocrine Sekretionsvorgänge control the function and differentiation processes in many organs and tissues. for example

• Plays an important role in autocrine secretion of embryogenesis and in tissue regeneration by cells can be stimulated by growth factors themselves formed.
• It comes to so called "community effect": Here, a certain cell density is required to produce a sufficient concentration signal, which initiates the cell differentiation to differentiated tissue. This mechanism plays a role in the formation of neuroectoderm by signals from the notochord.

Autocrine growth control is also based on the fact that the growth of tumor cells independent of external factors. Therefore, it represents a potential target for cancer therapy dar. The concentration of the growth factors in the blood plasma is reduced by the use of monoclonal antibodies or their receptors blocked by specific antibodies.