Tags: Protein.
Macrophage colony-stimulating factor or M-CSF is a secreted cytokine which influences hematopoietic stem cells to differentiate into macrophages or other related cell types. Eukaryotic cells also produce M-CSF in order to combat intercellular viral infection. (See colony-stimulating factor.) M-CSF binds to the Colony stimulating factor 1 receptor. It may also be involved in development of the placenta.