Macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF), also known as colony stimulating factor 1 (CSF1), is a cytokine secreted by osteoblasts. It is a hematopoietic growth factor that participates in the proliferation, differentiation, and survival of monocytes, macrophages, and bone marrow progenitor cells. M-CSF produced locally in the vascular wall will promote the process of atherosclerosis. M-CSF plays a role in kidney disease, including acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic renal failure (CRF). Chronic activation of monocytes can lead to various metabolic, blood, and immune abnormalities in CRF patients. In AKI patients, M-CSF can promote repair, but it also has the opposite effect, promoting the proliferation of pro-inflammatory macrophages.