GM-CSF restoration of a differentiated (growth factor-regulated) phenotype in an anaplastic tumor

GM-CSF (granulocyte-macrophage-derived colony-stimulating factor) is a differentiation agent that stimulates bone marrow activity in patients receiving chemotherapy. GM-CSF (1 microgram/ml daily for 10 days), administered intralesionally, was evaluated to determine whether it would restore a more differentiated phenotype to an anaplastic, rapidly growing, hormone-independent variant (R3327 MAT-LyLu) of the Dunning prostatic adenocarcinoma. Immunohistology was used to quantitate the expression of epithelial growth factor receptors (rEGF) and the tissue testosterone content. GM-CSF therapy significantly (P less than 0.05) restored rEGF expression and tissue testosterone to levels associated with better differentiated, slower growing, androgen-dependent Dunning variants (R3327 H and G). GM-CSF may have a role in treatment of prostatic cancers by promoting androgen and epithelial growth factor regulation.