G-CSF: A key regulator of neutrophil production, but that's not all!

Abstract

G-CSF is a major extracellular regulator of haemopoiesis and the innate immune system. Named for its relatively specific stimulation of the growth of neutrophil progenitor cells in vitro in semi-solid cultures (Burgess and Metcalf 1980, Nicola et al. 1983), G-CSF influences the survival, proliferation and differentiation of all cells in the neutrophil lineage, from haemopoietic stem cell through to mature neutrophil. Further, G-CSF influences the function of mature neutrophils. These actions underpin its rapid uptake into clinical medicine as a drug that increases the production of neutrophils in patients with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. Ongoing research has uncovered initially unsuspe..