Understanding IGF-1: Jefferson Researcher Sees Drug Potential In Targeting Enzyme

... Pharmaceutical companies still come knocking on Renato Baserga, M.D.,''s door. He''s spent years detailing the behavior of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) receptor, which plays roles in tumor growth and body size. He showed that cells lacking the IGF-1 receptor gene can''t be made cancerous, making it a drug target. Now, he''s found a possible molecular explanation of another phenomenon: erasing the gene for IGF-1 receptor results in mouse embryos only 50 percent of normal size. ...