Transforming growth factor-beta: pleiotropic role in the regulation of hematopoiesis.

Hematopoiesis is a remarkable cell-renewal process that leads to the continuous generation of large numbers of multiple mature cell types, starting from a relatively small stem cell compartment. A highly complex but efficient regulatory network is necessary to tightly control this production and to maintain the hematopoietic tissue in homeostasis. During the last 3 decades, constantly growing numbers of molecules involved in this regulation have been identified. They include soluble cytokines and growth factors, cell-cell interaction molecules, and extracellular matrix components, which provide a multifunctional scaffolding specific for each tissue. The cloning of numerous growth factors and their mass production have led to their possible use for both fundamental research and clinical application.