A Brief Review of Autocrine Phenomenon

Today four types of secretion are mentioned among secretory cells: endocrine, exocrine, paracrine and autoerine. Autocrine response is defined as one which hormone secreting cells also response to their own products. It needs appropriate external receptors to be binded to those secretions which are mostly growth factors. The concept of autocrine stimulation of cell proliferation postulates that cells can escape from normal growth control and become malignant by the endogenous production of growth factors that act on themselves via functional external receptor. The autocrine action of growth factors as transforming growth factor (α-TGP) and platelet derived growth factor (PDGP) has been demonstrated in certain virus-transformed cells.