Colony-stimulating factors are glycoproteins which are secreted. They bind to receptor proteins on stem cells, activating pathways that cause cells to proliferate and then differentiate into blood cells.
Recommended Resources
G-CSF in Severe Chemotherapy-Induced Afebrile Neutropenia
New England Journal of Medicine article lays out details of randomized trials of colony-stimulating factors in patients who have fevers and neutropenia after chemotherapy.
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199706193362501
Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor
Overview of G-CF, a blood growth factor meant to stimulate the marrow in order to produce white blood cells contains an explanation of the uses of G-CSF, how it is administered, and indications of side effects.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/295/9/1088
Granulocyte-colony Stimulating Factors as Adjunctive Therapy
Consists of the abstract, review, and full text of this scholarly paper which discusses G-CSF used in the treatment of diabetic foot infections.
http://mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD006810/frame.html
