Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) is a 53-amino acid protein discovered by Stanley Cohen, who shared the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for this work. EGF plays a fundamental role in cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation. In medicine, recombinant human EGF (rh-EGF) is used in wound healing products and is approved in several countries (South Korea, Cuba, China) for diabetic foot ulcers and other wound indications. In cosmetics, it is marketed as oligopeptide-1 or sh-oligopeptide-1 for anti-aging. The wound healing evidence is strong; cosmetic anti-aging evidence is more limited.
Category: Growth Factor / Cosmetic. Evidence rating: C (early/mixed human evidence).
Clinical status: Approved for wound healing in some countries (South Korea, Cuba). Used as a cosmetic ingredient globally.
EGF binds to the EGF receptor (EGFR/ErbB1), a receptor tyrosine kinase, activating the MAPK/ERK and PI3K/Akt signaling cascades. This stimulates cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation in keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells. In wound healing, EGF accelerates…
Safety considerations: Generally well tolerated in both wound healing and cosmetic applications; No significant systemic absorption from topical application at cosmetic concentrations; Theoretical concern: EGF receptor activation could theoretically promote growth of existing malignancies. This is relevant at therapeutic doses for wound healing, not at trace cosmetic concentrations.
Reviewed by the PeptideAtlas Editorial Team.
| Molecular weight | ~6045 g/mol |
|---|---|
| Production method | recombinant |
| Anti-doping status | not-listed |
| US regulatory status | Not FDA-approved for wound healing. Used as cosmetic ingredient (oligopeptide-1). Not regulated as a drug for cosmetic applications. |
At the trace concentrations used in cosmetics, EGF has no identified safety concerns. The theoretical worry about EGFR activation and cancer relates to sustained, high-dose exposure — not the nanogram quantities in face creams. EGF has been used in wound healing at much higher doses without cancer signal.
There is no evidence that topical EGF at cosmetic or even therapeutic concentrations causes cancer. While EGFR overactivation is associated with certain cancers, this involves mutations and chronic overexpression — different from brief topical exposure to exogenous EGF. Nonetheless, use on suspicious lesions should be avoided.
Stanley Cohen and Rita Levi-Montalcini shared the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries of growth factors — Cohen for EGF and Levi-Montalcini for nerve growth factor (NGF). Cohen first isolated EGF from mouse submaxillary glands in 1962.
Coverage on this site: Peptide Skincare: Botox-Like Results Without Injections, Oligopeptides: Powering Skin Repair, Anti-Aging, and Hair Growth, Catalog Peptides: Diverse Applications in Biotech and Health.