Intracrine

Intracrine signaling is a mode of hormone and growth factor action in which signaling molecules exert their effects within the same cell that produces them, without being secreted into the extracellular environment. The term intracrine was originally coined to describe peptides that either act within the cell that synthesized them or function after being internalized by their target cells. While this model was initially developed through studies on the intracellular action of angiotensin II, it has since been recognized as a fundamental mechanism applicable to numerous peptide hormones and growth factors.