Control of bone growth by fibroblast growth factors

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and their receptors (FGFRs) negatively regulate longitudinal bone growth. Activating FGFR3 mutations impair growth, causing human skeletal dysplasias, whereas inactivating mutations stimulate growth. Systemic administration of FGF-2 to mice stimulates bone growth at low doses but inhibits growth at high doses. In organ culture, FGF-2 inhibits growth by decreasing growth plate chondrocyte proliferation, hypertrophy and cartilage matrix synthesis. Local FGF-2 infusion accelerates ossification of growth plate cartilage. Thus, FGFs may regulate both growth plate chondrogenesis and ossification.