A growth factor typically changes how a target cell behaves after binding to its receptor, for example by influencing whether that cell divides or matures. This kind of signaling is studied across nearly every tissue type in the body and has been part of basic cell biology literature for decades, independent of any single commercial product.
In regenerative biologics, growth factors can appear as line items on a characterization panel. There, a laboratory measures how much of a specific protein, such as PDGF-AA, TGF-beta1 or VEGF, was detected in a tissue sample or exosome preparation using a method like ELISA. That panel describes what the lab found in that sample at that time. It is composition data, not a statement about what happens when a clinician uses the product.
Before relying on a supplier's growth factor figures, ask which assay produced the numbers, whether the data is lot specific or an averaged estimate, and whether the certificate of analysis for the exact lot being purchased is available. Marketing language that treats a growth factor list as proof of a clinical effect goes beyond what characterization data supports, and decisions about intended use remain with the treating physician and that physician's own regulatory counsel.
Reading a growth factor panel correctly helps a buyer separate composition documentation from promotional claims when comparing suppliers.