Optimizing the effectiveness of hematopoietic growth factors.

Hematopoiesis is regulated in a very precise fashion by a balance between both positive and negative growth factor signals in the hematopoietic microenvironment. Many of these growth factor signals have been identified and are available as recombinant proteins. At the present time, the approved uses for hematopoietic growth factors involve their use to facilitate blood cell production in situations of hematopoietic suppression or in cases where endogenous growth factor production is inappropriately low. Recent studies with the hematopoietic growth factors are looking at innovative strategies for their use and new clinical situations in which to evaluate their effectiveness. This review looks at some of these new uses for hematopoietic growth factors.