Objective@#
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (
G-CSF) is a
growth factor used to regulate the mobilization of
bone marrow progenitor cells and has been shown to promote
brain repair and reduce
inflammation. This study aimed to investigate the pro-cognitive and neuroplastic effects of
G-CSF in healthy
adults. @*
Methods@#Sixteen healthy
adults or
donors of
hematopoietic stem cell transplantation received
G-CSF injections for 5 consecutive days, and their
blood samples were collected before, immediately after, and 3 weeks after the
G-CSF injections. Twelve subjects underwent
neuropsychological testing before and 12 weeks after the
G-CSF injections. @*Results@#The study found that
G-CSF administration resulted in significant improvements in
cognitive function, as measured by the Rey– Osterrieth Complex Figure test for
immediate recall, delayed recall, and recognition score at 12 weeks after the
injections. The
blood levels of
brain-derived neurotrophic factor,
interleukin-4, and
interleukin-8 were significantly increased immediately after the
injections and returned to baseline levels after 3 weeks. There was no significant change in the
plasma level of Multimer
Detection System-oligomerized
amyloid beta. @*Conclusion@#Our results might suggest that
G-CSF has neuroplastic and pro-cognitive effects in healthy
adults. However, further study containing a larger
sample size is needed to confirm our findings.