神经生长因子(nerve growth factor,NGF)是Rita Levi Montalcini在1950s发现的,它的发现代表着科学历史上一个重要的里程碑。现已证明NGF在多种肿瘤中均有表达,尤其是上皮性肿瘤中,参与肿瘤的增殖、分化、凋亡和血管再生〔1-2〕。研究表明NGF的细胞表面结合了什么种类的受体,将直接决定NGF的生物学效应。NGF的受体有两种:酪氨酸 The discovery of nerve growth factor (NGF) by Rita Levi Montalcini in the 1950s represents an important milestone in scientific history. It has been demonstrated that NGF is expressed in many kinds of tumors, especially in epithelial tumors, and is involved in tumor proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and angiogenesis [1-2]. Studies show that what kind of receptors are bound to the cell surface of NGF will directly determine the biological effects of NGF. There are two types of receptors for NGF: tyrosine