Clinical applications of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor: an update and summary

The discovery of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and its potential to regulate neutrophil production and function in the inflammatory process has opened an exciting new era for the supportive care of patients with hematological and malignant diseases. Extensive experience has been gained worldwide with G-CSF therapy, and G-CSF is widely employed clinically, primarily because the safety profile appears to be fairly innocuous. A broad consensus has emerged regarding the clinical utility of G-CSF in neutropenic conditions due to chemotherapy. Furthermore, much interest has focused on the use of G-CSF to mobilize CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells from the marrow to the peripheral blood for use in hematopoietic transplantation. The promising results with G-CSF have promoted further studies, e.g., in immunocompetent patients or in granulocyte transfusion therapy. Here, we review the potential clinical role of G-CSF and describe its future perspectives.