colony-stimulating factor

English

Noun

colony-stimulating factor (plural colony-stimulating factors)

1. (biochemistry) A secreted glycoprotein that binds to receptor proteins on the surfaces of committed progenitors in the bone marrow, thereby activating intracellular signaling pathways that can cause the cells to proliferate and differentiate into a specific kind of blood cell.

   Synonym: (initialism) CSF