The efficacy of IL-3, SCF, IL-6, and IL-11 in treating thrombocytopenia

Suppression of normal hematopoiesis is a frequent complication of cancer or its treatment. The basis for dose-intensified cancer therapy in the 1990s was the discovery that hematopoietic growth factors and peripheral blood progenitor cell infusions can ameliorate some of its associated hematologic toxicities. Both granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor accelerate neutrophil recovery after chemotherapy and can mobilize peripheral blood progenitor cells for use in autologous or allogeneic transplantation. Unfortunately, the duration and severity of chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia is unaffected by the use of these myeloid growth factors. During the last 5 years, the activities of a variety of potential platelet or megakaryocyte-stimulating factors have been determined in clinical trials. The results of these studies are described.