colony-stimulating factor
noun
col·o·ny-stim·u·lat·ing factor ˈkä-lə-nē-ˈstim-yə-ˈlā-tiŋ 
: any of several glycoproteins that promote the differentiation of stem cells especially into blood granulocytes and macrophages and that stimulate their proliferation into colonies in culture
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Giving mice a drug that blocked the critical protein colony-stimulating factor 1, which microglia need to survive, was shown to remove around 90 percent of microglia in the brain. 
Jason Ulrich, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2021 Otilimab is a monoclonal antibody against the granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, or GM-CSF, which stimulates the production of white blood cells. Matthew Herper, STAT, 27 Feb. 2021 The virus, called T-VEC, produces a substance called granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Bradley J. Fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, 7 Sep. 2017
Jason Ulrich, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2021 Otilimab is a monoclonal antibody against the granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, or GM-CSF, which stimulates the production of white blood cells. Matthew Herper, STAT, 27 Feb. 2021 The virus, called T-VEC, produces a substance called granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Bradley J. Fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, 7 Sep. 2017 Word History
First Known Use
1967, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
colony-stimulating factor
noun
col·o·ny-stim·u·lat·ing factor -ˌstim-yə-ˌlāt-iŋ-
: any of several glycoproteins that promote the differentiation of stem cells especially into blood granulocytes and macrophages and that stimulate their proliferation into colonies in culture see granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interleukin-3, macrophage colony-stimulating factor