Hematopoietins: New Tools in the Treatment of Hematopoietic Insufficiency

The number of circulating blood cells and their function are regulated by a variety of peptide hormones, the so-called hematopoietic growth factors (HGFs) or hematopoietins. In a complex regulatory network of stimulating and inhibiting peptide hormones [1], the number of circulating blood cells is kept at a physiological level. Because many of these blood cells have a relatively short half-life, the bone marrow is in a state of constant active proliferation in order to produce the necessary blood cells. For instance, granulocytes are made at a rate of 5 × 107–10 × 107 cells/s. It is unclear whether additional, hematopoietin-independent regulatory mechanisms exist, which might be responsible…