colony-stimulating factor

Description

A substance that stimulates the bone marrow to produce white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets.

Colony-stimulating factors are found naturally in the body or can be made in the lab.

Also called CSF or hematopoietic growth factor.

See also granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF).