Using site-direct mutagenesis and recombinant DNA technology, we had previously obtained a structurally modified derivative of human G-CSF termed G-CSFa. G-CSFa contains alanine 17 (instead of cysteine 17 as in wildtype G-CSF) as well as four additional amino acids (methionine, arginine, glycine and serine) at the amino terminus. Previous studies showed that G-CSFa is more potent than the wild-type counterpart in stimulating proliferation and differentiation of myeloid cells of the granulocytic lineage, both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we show that G-CSFa can significantly accelerate peripheral platelet recovery in C57BL/6 mice exposed to radiotherapy. We further demonstrate that G-CSFa is not immunogenic in rats, by confirming the absence of any binding antibodies, analyzed using ELISA, or neutralizing antibodies, determined using the NFS-60 cell proliferation bioassay, to G-CSFa in the sera of Sprague-Dawley rats following repeated G-CSFa administration. Taken together, these findings further support the benefits of G-CSFa for clinical therapy.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.