Human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor is a growth factor active on a variety of cell types of nonhemopoietic origin.
Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a member of a family of glycoprotein hormones that stimulate the proliferation and differentiation of hemopoietic cells in vitro and in vivo. We now report that human GM-CSF can also stimulate the proliferation of two osteogenic sarcoma cell lines, a breast carcinoma cell line, a simian virus 40-transformed marrow stromal cell line, and normal marrow fibroblast precursors. These findings suggest a more general regulatory function of GM-CSF on nonhemopoietic cell types than previously anticipated. They also raise the possibility of adverse side effects of GM-CSF therapy in patients whose malignant cells may be directly stimulated by this molecule and suggest a previously unanticipated role of GM-CSF gene activation in the evolution of solid tumors and in the pathogenesis of myelofibrosis.
Dedhar
S
S
Department of Advanced Therapeutics, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, Canada.
Gaboury
L
L
Galloway
P
P
Eaves
C
C
D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D002460:Cell Line; D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D009447:Neuroblastoma; D012516:Osteosarcoma; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology
D003115:Colony-Stimulating Factors; D006133:Growth Substances; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor