The granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factors.

The granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factors are well-characterized specific glycoproteins that interact to control the production, differentiation, and function of two related white cell populations of the blood, the granulocytes and monocyte-macrophages. Widely produced in the body, these regulators probably play an important role in resistance to infections. The proliferation of myeloid leukemia cells remains dependent on stimulation by colony-stimulating factors, although one of them also has the ability to suppress leukemic populations by inducing terminal differentiation.