Platelet growth factors - From the laboratory to the clinic

Thrombocytopenia can be a life-threatening complication of hematologic disorders or it may be secondary to medical intervention with chemotherapy. The increased use of platelet transfusions to ameliorate the complications of thrombocytopenia carries increased patient risk from platelet transfusions due to alloimmunization, infection, and transfusion reactions. Recent advances in the understanding of platelet growth factors, including thrombopoietin, interleukin (IL)-3, IL-6, and IL-11 have shown that their clinical use may decrease platelet-transfusion requirements.