Study of the Effect of GM-CSF on Macrophages in Ependymoma

Recombinant Granulocyte Macrophage Colony Stimulation Factor (rGM-CSF) is a hematopoietic growth factor which supports survival, clonal expansion, and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells. rGM-CSF induces partially committed progenitor cells to divide and differentiate in the granulocyte-macrophage pathways. rGM-CSF stimulates the production of monocytes, granulocytes, erythrocytes, and sometimes, megakaryocytes in the bone marrow. It also induces mature macrophages to increase phagocytosis, superoxide generation, Antibody Dependent Cell-mediated Cytotoxicity (ADCC), tumoricidal killing and cytokine production (IL-1 and tumor necrosis factor). GM-CSF was used in the first successful phase III trial of immunotherapy in the pediatric COG protocol, ANBL0931, a national study in high risk neuroblastoma.