Therapeutic use of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). A review of recent experience.

Recombinant cytokines are now available for clinical use. Several colony-stimulating factors (CFS) have been identified which induce activation, proliferation and maturation of myeloid lineage cells. Recent therapeutic trials with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factors (GM-CSF) in association with chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation and leukemia treatment are reviewed. GM-CSF as primary treatment for myelodysplasia and other types of bone marrow failure is also of interest. Colony-stimulating factor therapy in AIDS may be useful in order to reduce myelodepression caused by antiviral treatment and chemotherapy for associated malignancies like Kaposi's sarcoma. However, the effect of neutrophil count increase on infection is far from clear, and the real benefit of GM-CSF in cancer therapy has yet to be demonstrated.