Fibroblast Growth Factor 7: An Inhibitor of Phosphate Transport Derived from Oncogenic Osteomalacia-Causing Tumors

Oncogenic osteomalacia (OO), a tumor-associated phosphate-wasting syndrome, provides an opportunity to identify regulators of renal phosphate homeostasis. We established cultures from OO-associated tumors. Conditioned medium from these cultures inhibited phosphate uptake in renal tubular epithelial cells. We then compared RNA from tumor-derived cultures expressing inhibitory activity with RNA from tumor-derived cultures in which inhibitory activity was not evident and identified candidate mRNAs specifically expressed by cultures inhibiting renal phosphate transport. Testing of identified candidates revealed that one protein, fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7), was a potent and direct inhibitor of phosphate uptake in vitro. A neutralizing monoclonal antibody to FGF7 reversed FGF7-dependent phosphate transport inhibition and inhibitory activity in conditioned medium from tumor cell cultures. Immunoassay revealed abundant FGF7 in inhibitory conditioned medium and minimal amounts in nonconditioned medium or co...