Study on two new microglia growth factors purified from cloned culture cells

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We have previously found that an 80 kDa factor and a 100 kDa factor in the conditioned medium of cloned thymic myoid cells. Amino acid analysis and biological study of these factors indicate that they are different from the authentic GM-CSF and M-CSF and also different from each other. These two factors stimulate growth and differentiation of monocytic lineage cells from various organs, including the brain microglial cells. Generally, since the brain and the thymus share many biological characteristics, such as cell surface antigens and cytokines, we attempted to locate possible producer cells in the brain by using cDNA probes and antibodies specific to these two factors. We have found that the brain indeed produce two mosecules identical to the two factors derived from the thymic nyoid cels, together with other cytokines, such as M-CSF.These results suggest that development of monocytic lineage cells depend on plural growth and differentiation factors, probably a certain combination of monocytic cell growth facters are important for generation of the heterogeneity in monocytic lineage cells. We are in progress to produce their recombinant factors in large scale and to prepare the knockout mice of these factors to establish their biological significance.