Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 8, Issue 5, 2002

Cytokines are centrally involved in the regulation of normal hematopoiesis, the production of mature blood cells by bone marrow stem cells. Cytokines influence stem survival, proliferation, and differentiation commitment, as well as controlling the orderly maturation of progenitor cells into functional leucocytes, erythrocytes, and platelets. Acute leukemias result from malignant transformation of bone marrow stem cells Read More

The aetiology of the myeloproliferative disorders and, in particular, of the myeloid leukaemias is unknown. The transformation of cells is primarily due to molecular aberrations leading to excessive cellular signalling and proliferation. In addition cytokines and their receptors may play a role in leukaemogenesis by increasing the proliferative capacity of leukaemic cells and extending their life span. Chemotherapeutic agents are Read More

Prevention of hemorrhage secondary to thrombocytopenia has generally been managed by the transfusion of platelets. The need for such transfusion is related to the depth and duration of ”critical“thrombocytopenia, a level that until recently was hotly debated. However a number of clinical trials have established that transfusion at a platelet count greater than 10 x 10 9 / L was safe in the absence of factors associate Read More

Haemopoietic progenitors mobilised into peripheral blood are now almost universally used in autologous haemopoietic stem cell transplantation in the treatment of a range of malignant and some nonmalignant disease. Although chemotherapy alone was initially used, all modern protocols now involve the use of cytokines, with or without chemotherapy. Important developments have included an in understanding of the importan Read More

Keratinocyte Growth factor (KGF) is an epithelial cell growth factor of the fibroblast growth factor family and is produced by fibroblasts and microvascular endothelium in response to proinflammatory cytokines and steroid hormones. KGF is a heparin binding growth factor that exerts effects on epithelial cells in a paracrine fashion through interaction with KGF receptors. Preclinical data has demonstrated that KGF can Read More

Dendritic cells (DC) initiate tumor specific immune responses in animal studies and initial human trials suggest that certain tumor-antigen loaded DC preparations generate clinical responses.DC may be obtained from blood or generated in vitro from precursor cells. In vitro generation of DC from precursor cells, under the influence of cytokines, has been favoured to date as a source because of the greater numbers of DC produce Read More

Myeloid leukaemia cells are sensitive to attack by elements of the immune system as evidenced by the effects of T cell depletion, graft versus leukaemia and donor lymphocyte infusion on leukaemic recurrence. An implication is that the immune system can be manipulated to enhance anti-leukaemic effects by exogenous stimulation including the use of immunostimulatory cytokines. These could potentially be used in a cont Read More