Neuroprotective Therapy Using Granulocyte Colony–Stimulating Factor for Patients With

Study Design. An open-labeled multicenter prospective controlled clinical trial. Objective. To confi rm the feasibility of granulocyte colony– stimulating factor (G-CSF) administration for patients with thoracic myelopathy. Summary of Background Data. Although G-CSF is best known as an important cytokine commonly used to treat neutropenia, it also has nonhematopoietic functions. Previous experimental studies have shown that G-CSF can enhance tissue regeneration of several organs, such as the heart and the brain. We previously reported that G-CSF promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury in rodents. On the basis of those fi ndings, we started a clinical trial of neuroprotective therapy, using G-CSF for patients with worsening symptoms of thoracic myelopathy. Granulocyte colony–stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a 19.6 kDa glycoprotein. It is best known as a growth factor for hematopoietic progenitor cells and is com