[Participation of growth factors in human reproduction]

The Growth Factors (GFs) include a group peptidic molecules, with important trophic, mitotic and cellular differentiation effects in most human tissues. This review encompasses the different types of GFs and their biologic effects on tissues involved in the human reproductive process. The importance of the GF in the embryonic development and the implantation process is also commented. Finally, we assess the participation of the GFs in the pathophysiology of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Endometriosis based on recent investigations. The review permit us appreciate the importance of the GFs as mediators of different hormones (in their secretion and biological effects) and in the regulation of some cellular events. The real value of these GFs in the daily clinical practice is as yet to be established, due to the technical laboratory limitations with respect to their identification and quantification, as well as the lack of more clinical research in humans. The GFs are promising molecules for the treatment of infertiles couples and for the application of the technics of assisted reproduction, in vivo and in vitro.