Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF) is a potent mitogen, angiogenesis promoting factor, and a potential therapeutic for the acceleration of the wound healing process. Analogs of bFGF will be made by in-vitro mutagenesis of a DNA fragment coding for human bFGF. The mutated bFGF-coding DNA fragment will be engineered into an expression vector, transfected into bacteria, produced, and then purified. The analogs will have decreased heparin binding activity. Additional experiments will analyze bFGF heparin interactions. FGF protein with potent mitogenic activity and significantly diminished heparin binding activity might have novel applications as a therapeutic wound healing agent. In addition bFGF analogs with increased structural homogeneity will be tested in-vivo for use as a therapeutic agonists of bFGF.
