Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor
GM-CSF is a monomeric glycoprotein secreted by macrophages, T cells, mast cells, natural killer cells, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts. It stimulates the proliferation of granulocyte and macrophage progenitor cells and influences the differentiation, maturation, and functional activity of myeloid cells. GM-CSF is critical for development and maintenance of alveolar macrophages and thus plays a role in lung homeostasis and host defense. The receptor for GM-CSF is CSF2R, expressed by mainly by myeloid cells and some non-hematopoietic cells, but not lymphoid cells. Recombinant GM-CSF is used following chemo/radiotherapy to restore myeloid populations in leukemic patients. Clinical evidence also indicate that GM-CSF can be an effective immunostimulatory agent when combined with anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (anti-CTLA-4) antibodies in patients with metastatic melanoma as well as in certain tumors of non-hematopoietic origins. It may also have an inflammatory role in several autoimmune disease, including rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. GM-CSF therapy in patients have also shown multiple direct and indirect beneficial for cardiovascular diseases, including neovascularization of ischemic myocardium and reduction in myocardial damage after infarction.
Swiss-Prot Accession Number: P04141
