Final answer:
Recombinant hematopoietic growth factors are used to treat aplastic anemia and the anemia of kidney failure, as well as to assist cancer patients in recovering their white blood cell counts after chemotherapy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cloning of genes for hematopoietic growth factors has revolutionized treatment options for a variety of medical conditions. Recombinant proteins derived from these cloned genes are notably used to manage diseases related to blood cell production.
Among the conditions treated using these recombinant proteins are aplastic anemia and the anemia of kidney failure. Aplastic anemia is a condition where the body stops producing enough new blood cells, making patients highly susceptible to infections and uncontrolled bleeding. The anemia of kidney failure is a condition where the kidneys no longer produce sufficient amounts of erythropoietin (EPO), leading to decreased red blood cell production. Recombinant forms of EPO can be administered to patients to treat this specific type of anemia.
In addition to these applications, hematopoietic growth factors are widely employed in clinical settings to combat the side effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients, such as neutropenia due to the destruction of granulocytes. Recombinant proteins, such as colony-stimulating factors (CSFs), are administered to patients to increase white blood cell counts and help in the recovery of the immune system.