SynthesisFrontiers in immunology
Sargramostim (rhu GM-CSF) as Cancer Therapy (Systematic Review) and An Immunomodulator. A Drug Before Its Time?
Synthesis in Frontiers in immunology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 45 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
45 citing papers in PubMed, 63 citations in OpenAlex.
- A Hypothesis-Generating Pharmacologic Profile for Sargramostim Treatment of Parkinson's Disease.Cellular and molecular neurobiology · 2026Trial
- Phase II Clinical Trial and Preclinical Evaluation of a Novel CD47 Blockade Combination in Refractory Microsatellite-Stable Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.Cancer research communications · 2025Trial
- PD-1 Inhibitor Combined With Radiotherapy and GM-CSF (PRaG) in Patients With Metastatic Solid Tumors: An Open-Label Phase II Study.Frontiers in immunology · 2022Trial
- Review
- Fibrin-rich environment drives catheter-associated UTIs by suppressing macrophage defenses.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Advances in Therapeutic Melanoma Vaccines (2010-2025).Vaccines · 2026Review
- Natural and Engineered Cytokines as Cancer Therapeutics.Annual review of cancer biology · 2026Article
- Biopharmaceuticals for Cancer Treatment: An Update.Cancer medicine · 2026Review
- Targeting Leukopoiesis: Pharmacological and Biotechnological Strategies for the Treatment of Leukopenia.Biomedicines · 2026Review
- Article
- The Role of Glycan Structures in Modulating GM-CSF Bioactivity: Insights from Glycoengineering.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Next-generation immunotherapy biologics for glioblastoma.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Immune Checkpoint Molecules: A Review on Pathways and Immunotherapy Implications.Immunity, inflammation and disease · 2025Review
- Tissue macrophages: origin, heterogenity, biological functions, diseases and therapeutic targets.Signal transduction and targeted therapy · 2025Review
- Anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies in myeloid leukemias.Best practice & research. Clinical haematology · 2025Review
- The effect of GM-CSF and predictors of treatment outcome in pediatric septic shock patients.Italian journal of pediatrics · 2025Article
- Precision bacterial immunotherapy: an integrated mechanistic taxonomy and translational roadmap against antimicrobial resistance.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
- Controlling tumor progression and recurrence in mice through combined treatment with a PD-L1 inhibitor and a designerActa pharmaceutica Sinica. B · 2024Article
- Advancements and challenges in immunocytokines: A new arsenal against cancer.Acta pharmaceutica Sinica. B · 2024Review
- GM-CSF receptor expression determines opposing innate memory phenotypes at different stages of myelopoiesis.Blood · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSargramostim [recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rhu GM-CSF)] was approved by US FDA in 1991 to accelerate bone marrow recovery in diverse settings of bone marrow failure and is designated on the list of FDA Essential Medicines, Medical Countermeasures, and Critical Inputs. Other important biological activities including accelerating tissue repair and modulating host immunity to infection and cancer
objectiveAssess safety and efficacy of sargramostim in cancer and other diverse experimental and clinical settings. METHODS AND
resultsWe systematically reviewed PubMed, Cochrane and TRIP databases for clinical data on sargramostim in cancer. In a variety of settings, sargramostim after exposure to bone marrow-suppressing agents accelerated hematologic recovery resulting in fewer infections, less therapy-related toxicity and sometimes improved survival. As an immune modulator, sargramostim also enhanced anti-cancer responses in solid cancers when combined with conventional therapies, for example with immune checkpoint inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies.
conclusionsSargramostim accelerates hematologic recovery in diverse clinical settings and enhances anti-cancer responses with a favorable safety profile. Uses other than in hematologic recovery are less-well studied; more data are needed on immune-enhancing benefits. We envision significantly expanded use of sargramostim in varied immune settings. Sargramostim has the potential to reverse the immune suppression associated with sepsis, trauma, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and COVID-19. Further, sargramostim therapy has been promising in the adjuvant setting with vaccines and for anti-microbial-resistant infections and treating autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis and gastrointestinal, peripheral arterial and neuro-inflammatory diseases. It also may be useful as an adjuvant in anti-cancer immunotherapy.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.