Hemopoietic growth factors regulate the differentiation and proliferation of particular progenitor cells. Made available through recombinant DNA technology, they hold tremendous potential for medical uses when a person's natural ability to form blood cells is diminished or defective. Recombinant

erythropoietin Erythropoietin (; EPO), also known as erythropoetin, haematopoietin, or haemopoietin, is a glycoprotein cytokine secreted mainly by the kidneys in response to cellular hypoxia; it stimulates red blood cell production (erythropoiesis) in the bo ...

(EPO) is very effective in treating the diminished red blood cell production that accompanies end-stage kidney disease. Erythropoietin is a sialoglycoprotein hormone produced by peritubular cells of kidney

Granulocyte Granulocytes are cells in the innate immune system characterized by the presence of specific granules in their cytoplasm. Such granules distinguish them from the various agranulocytes. All myeloblastic granulocytes are polymorphonuclear. They ha ...

-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and granulocyte CSF are given to stimulate white blood cell formation in cancer patients who are receiving

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherap ...

, which tends to kill their red bone marrow cells as well as the cancer cells.

Thrombopoietin Thrombopoietin (THPO) also known as megakaryocyte growth and development factor (MGDF) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''THPO'' gene. Thrombopoietin is a glycoprotein hormone produced by the liver and kidney which regulates the pro ...

shows great promise for preventing platelet depletion during chemotherapy. CSFs and thrombopoietin also improve the outcome of patients who receive bone marrow transplants.

References

Hematopoiesis Growth factors {{circulatory-stub

See also

References