Human interleukin 3: Analysis of the gene and its role in the regulation of hematopoiesis

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Abstract
Interleukin 3 (IL‐3) is one of a family of cytokines believed to be important in regulating the growth and development of cells of both the hematopoietic and immune systems. In comparison with other hematopoietic growth factors, IL‐3 preferentially supports the proliferation and differentiation of progenitors at early stages of hematopoietic development. In addition, IL‐3 exerts a wide spectrum of biological activities on various target cell populations, including T cells, B cells, eosinophils, basophils and monocytes. The direct interaction between IL‐3 and early multipotential progenitors has been confirmed in the primate model in which pretreatment of IL‐3 primed the animals to become more responsive to late‐acting hematopoietic growth factors, like granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor and erythropoietin. Furthermore, administration of IL‐3 can diminish myelosuppression and accelerate hematopoietic recovery in primates treated with various chemotherapeutic drugs. These studies suggest that IL‐3 alone or in combination with other hematopoietins may prove to be useful in treating myelosuppressed patients.

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