FLT3: receptor and ligand. Biology and potential clinical application.
Flt3 ligand (FL) is a recently identified cytokine having a central role in the proliferation, survival and differentiation of early murine and human hematopoietic precursor/stem cells. FL acts synergistically in vitro with a number of other hematopoietic growth factors such as IL-3, IL-6, IL-11, IL-12, KIT Ligand and GM-CSF. Recently, it has been shown the in vivo administration of FL results in a significant alteration of hematopoiesis in murine bone marrow (BM), spleen, peripheral blood, liver and lymph nodes. In addition, treatment with FL resulted in a significant accumulation of functionally active dendritic cells within murine lymphoid tissues. The possible applications of FL in dendritic cell-based immunotherapies are discussed.
Department of Surgical Oncology and Biological Therapeutics Program, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, PA 15213, USA. mshu@med.pitt.edu
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D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051941:fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3
D008024:Ligands; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C084881:flt3 ligand protein; C497970:FLT3 protein, human; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D051941:fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3