Macrophage colony stimulating factor: not just for macrophages anymore! A gateway into complex biologies.
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Douglass TG, Driggers L, Zhang JG, Hoa N, Delgado C, Williams CC, Dan Q, Sanchez R, Jeffes EW, Wepsic HT, Myers MP, Koths K, Jadus MR
Macrophage colony stimulating factor: not just for macrophages anymore! A gateway into complex biologies.
Int Immunopharmacol. 2008 Oct;8(10):1354-76. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2008.04.016. Epub 2008 Jun 2.
- PubMed ID
- 18687298 [ View in PubMed]
- Abstract
Macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF, also called colony stimulating factor-1) has traditionally been viewed as a growth/differentiation factor for monocytes, macrophages, and some female-specific tumors. As a result of alternative mRNA splicing and post-translational processing, several forms of M-CSF protein are produced: a secreted glycoprotein, a longer secreted form containing proteoglycan, and a short membrane-bound isoform. These different forms of M-CSF all initiate cell signaling in cells bearing the M-CSF receptor, called c-fms. Here we review the biology of M-CSF, which has important roles in bone physiology, the intestinal tract, cancer metastases to the bone, macrophage-mediated tumor cell killing and tumor immunity. Although this review concentrates mostly on the membrane form of human M-CSF (mM-CSF), the biology of the soluble forms and the M-CSF receptor will also be discussed for comparative purposes. The mechanisms of the biological effects of the membrane-bound M-CSF reveal that this cytokine is unexpectedly involved in many complex molecular events. Recent experiments suggest that a tumor vaccine based on membrane-bound M-CSF-transduced tumor cells, combined with anti-angiogenic therapy, should be evaluated further for use in clinical trials.