Intraperitoneal injection of a replication-deficient adenovirus containing the HST-1 (FGF-4) gene (Adex1HST-1) increased peripheral platelet counts in mice, and also effectively prevented experimentally induced thrombocytopenia.
A single Adex1HST-1 injection caused continuously increased levels of serum HST-1 protein for at least 30 d and increased the count of large megakaryocytes in bone marrow, which specifically recovered platelet counts and more efficiently diminished the extent and duration of thrombocytopenia than any other reported cytokine or any combination of cytokines so far.