Interleukin 3 : The Panspecific Hemopoietin

Interleukin 3: The Panspecific Hemopoietin contains contributions from immunologists, hematologists, protein chemists, and molecular biologists whose efforts have defined the biology and molecular nature of interleukin 3 (IL-3) in less than a decade. The articles represent personal perspectives rather than exhaustive reviews. They are arranged in alphabetical order rather than thematically because many of the individual articles cover multiple aspects of the molecule. These articles cover topics such as the potential role of IL-3 in the pathology of allergic and inflammatory disease and the role of IL-3 in the genesis of certain myeloid leukemias. A number of articles also highlight an important technical point, namely, that many of the various assays often used for IL-3 are not specific. One article indicates that the''histamine-producing cell-stimulating factor''activity can be mediated not only by IL-3 but also by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Another deals with the lack of specificity of assays based on the induction of 20a-SDH or factor-dependent cell lines.