Receptors for hematopoietic regulatory cytokines : overview of structure and function

• The production of blood cells is regulated by the action of external factors, cytokines, that can be released by many cell types. In the first place, a population of multipotent stem cells, mostly in the resting Go phase of the cell cycle, but with self-renewal capacity, gives rise to progenitor cells that are predetermined for differentiation into all kinds of blood cells. Expression of genes for cytokine receptors leads to external regulation of hematopoiesis by cytokines which bind to the receptors, resulting in modifications of proliferation and differentiation, as cytokines are not only growth factors, but are also maturation factors capable of directing hematopoiesis towards functionally competent cells. What is more, they are survival factors capable of suppressing programmed cell death (apoptosis). This is of particular importance for the viability of stem cells which must be preserved. Thus cytokines can act at all positions of the hematopoietic family tree, and the response can differ from proliferation and differentiation of progenitor cells to functional activation of mature cells. Under physiological conditions, during constitutive hematopoiesis, the regulatory cytokines are produced locally, for instance by stromal ceils of the microenvironment, and act locally in a paracrine manner [2].

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Cancer och onkologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Cancer and Oncology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Amino Acid Sequence

Animals

Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects

Hematopoiesis/drug effects

Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors/pharmacology

Humans

Mice

Models, Biological

Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/drug effects

Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor/classification

Signal Transduction/drug effects

Publication and Content Type

kap (subject category)

ref (subject category)