Description
Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), also known as colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1), is a hemopoietic growth factor that regulates the survival, proliferation, differentiation and function of the cells of the mononuclear phagocyte lineage. M-CSF is produced by a variety of cell types and acts both locally and humorally in an autocrine and paracrine manner. Through differential mRNA splicing and posttranslational proteolytic processing and modification, M-CSF is expressed in three biologically-active isoforms: a secreted glycoprotein; a secreted proteoglycan; and a membrane spanning cell-surface glycoprotein.