growth factor

American

noun

any of various proteins that promote the growth, organization, and maintenance of cells and tissues.

growth factor British

noun

any of several substances present in serum that induce growth of cells. Excessive amounts of growth factor may be associated with the production of cancer cells

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

growth factor

Over at GlaxoSmithKline, a partnership with Korea’s ABL Bio will use the receptor for the insulinlike growth factor as a portal for neurology drugs.

From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026

NRP1 was also expressed in the same cells at the nerve growth factor receptor TrkA.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 5, 2024

To determine this, they observed that nerve growth factor has a stretch of amino acids that is known to allow other proteins to bind to NPR1.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 5, 2024

Given the newfound role of NRP1 in nerve growth factor pain signaling, the researchers envision several ways that this knowledge can be used to redeploy existing therapies to treat pain and create new ones.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 5, 2024

Our present society allows almost unlimited exercise of the growth factor in individuals, regardless of how powerful it may be.

From The Colonists by Jones, Raymond F.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023