The Colony-Stimulating Factors and Cancer

The colony-stimulating factors (CSF) are the master regulators of granulocyte and macrophage populations. There are four different aspects of the connection between the CSFs and cancer: (i) the CSFs can accelerate the regeneration of protective white cells damaged by chemotherapy; (ii) the CSFs can mobilize stem cells to the peripheral blood in convenient numbers for transplantation; (iii) the CSFs can enhance anticancer immune responses; and (iv) the CSFs are potentially involved in the genesis of the myeloid leukemias. (C)2013 AACR.