The importance of the granulocyte-colony stimulating factor in oncology

Abstract

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a glycoprotein, the second CSF, sharing some common effects with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-3 (IL-3) and interleukin-5 (IL-5). G-CSF is mainly produced by fibroblasts and endothelial cells from bone marrow stroma and by immunocompetent cells (monocytes, macrophages). The receptor for G-CSF (G-CSFR) is part of the cytokine and hematopoietin receptor superfamily and G-CSFR mutations cause severe congenital neutropenia.

The main action of G-CSF - G-CSFR linkage is stimulation of the production, mobilization, survival and chemotaxis of neutrophils, but there are many other G-CSF effects: growth and migration of endothelial cells, decrease of norepinephrine reuptake, increase in osteoclastic activity and decrease in osteoblast activity.

In oncology, G-CSF is utilized especially for the primary prophylaxis of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia, but it can be used for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, it can produce monocytic differentiation of some myeloid leukemias and it can increase some drug resistance.

The therapeutic indications of G-CSF are becoming more and more numerous: non neutropenic patients infections, reproductive medicine, neurological disturbances, regeneration therapy after acute myocardial infarction and of skeletal muscle, and hepatitis C therapy.