The molecular biology and functions of the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factors

Rapid progress has occurred recently in characterizing the molecular nature of the specific glycoprotein colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) controlling the proliferation; and some functional activities of granulocytes and monocyte-macrophages. All four known murine CSFs have been purified, and cDNAs for two have been cloned and expressed by mammalian and bacterial cells. Similarly, three human CSFs have been purified, and cDNAs for two cloned and expressed. This work has opened up the exciting prospects of testing the effects of these recombinant CSFs on hematopoiesis in vivo. Each CSF has a broader range of hematopoietic target cells than previously suspected, and it is now clear that the CSFs are not simply proliferative stimuli but can also regulate the functional activity of mature cells. There are increasing reasons to believe that these CSFs will be useful therapeutic agents in stimulating hematopoietic regeneration in leukopenic states and the functional activity of granulocytes and monocytes in infections.