The effects of purified human native granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on the growth of clonogenic leukemic blast cells from 10 Japanese patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) were studied, using an in vitro leukemic blast colony assay. The clonogenic leukemic blast cells from six patients with AML were stimulated to form colonies in viscous medium in vitro by the addition of 100 ng/ml G-CSF. The possibility that G-CSF may be a leukemic blast growth factor warrants further attention.