SCF
Meaning of SCF: SCF is a natural protein signaling blood-forming stem cells to survive, multiply, and mature into the different cell types found in blood.
Definition of SCF
SCF, short for stem cell factor, is a naturally occurring protein that binds to a receptor called KIT on the surface of blood-forming stem cells and their early descendants. This binding signals these cells to survive, multiply, and begin developing into the various mature cell types found in blood, including red cells, white cells, and platelets.
SCF is classified as both a cytokine, a signaling protein used for communication between cells, and a growth factor, a substance that promotes cell growth and development. It works alongside a number of other cytokines within the bone marrow, where blood cell production normally takes place, rather than driving the entire process alone.
Because SCF supports such an early stage of blood cell development, it has been studied for its potential to help mobilize stem cells from the bone marrow into the circulating blood, where they can more easily be collected for certain medical procedures.
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Used in a sentence
Laboratory studies measured SCF levels as part of research into stem cell mobilization.
Good to know
SCF acts on early blood-forming stem cells rather than on mature blood cells directly, so its effects occur further upstream in blood cell development than most other cytokines discussed in clinical care.