Figure 1.

Two-pronged roles of HGF. The dynamic branching morphogenesis (e.g., in renal tubular cells) and the promotion of cell survival (e.g., in neurons, hepatocytes) mediated by the HGF-MET pathway play roles in tissue regeneration and protection after injury (right panel). In tumor tissues, similar biological activities, namely, dynamic cell movement and survival, promoted by MET activation participate in invasion–metastasis and therapy resistance against molecular-targeted drugs (left panel). The cells responding to HGF are shown in green.