The invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules, designated ELVIS-1, ELVIS-2, and ELVIS-3 (for Epidermal Growth Factor-Like Variant In Skin-1, 2, and 3). ELVIS nucleic acid molecules encode wholly secreted and transmembrane proteins with homology to EGF and TGF-.alpha.. The invention also provides antisense nucleic acid molecules, expression vectors containing the nucleic acid molecules of the invention, host cells into which the expression vectors have been introduced, and nonhuman transgenic animals in which a nucleic acid molecule of the invention has been introduced or disrupted. The ELVIS nucleic acids of the present invention are useful as modulating agents in regulating a variety of cellular processes, and are particularly useful for diagnostic, screening and therapeutic methods for the treatment of skin conditions, such as for wound healing. Accordingly, in one aspect, this invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding a polypeptide of the invention or biologically active portion thereof. The present invention also provides nucleic acid molecules which are suitable as primers or hybridization probes for the detection of nucleic acids encoding a polypeptide of the invention.