title: Stimulatory versus suppressive effects of GM-CSF on tumor progression in multiple cancer types.
abstract: Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF, also called CSF-2) is best known for its critical role in immune modulation and hematopoiesis. A large body of experimental evidence indicates that GM-CSF, which is frequently upregulated in multiple types of human cancers, effectively marks cancer cells with a 'danger flag' for the immune system. In this context, most studies have focused on its function as an immunomodulator, namely its ability to stimulate dendritic cell (DC) maturation and monocyte/macrophage activity. However, recent studies have suggested that GM-CSF also promotes immune-independent tumor progression by supporting tumor microenvironments and stimulating tumor growth and metastasis. Although some studies have suggested that GM-CSF has inhibitory effects on tumor growth and metastasis, an even greater number of studies show that GM-CSF exerts stimulatory effects on tumor progression. In this review, we summarize a number of findings to provide the currently available information regarding the anticancer immune response of GM-CSG. We then discuss the potential roles of GM-CSF in the progression of multiple types of cancer to provide insights into some of the complexities of its clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Stem Cell Research, Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, Gachon University, Incheon, South Korea.|Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, South Korea.
authors.forename: In-Sun
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017321:Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor