HEMATOPOIESIS IN LONG-TERM BONE-MARROW CULTURES - A REVIEW

Bone marrow-derived adherent cell layers, containing endothelial cells, fat cells and macrophages will support prolonged hemopoiesis in vitro. Evidence suggests that the adherent layer is acting as an in vitro hemopoietic inductive environment for stem cell proliferation and differentiation into the variety of committed progenitor cells of the granulocytic, erythroid, megakaryocytic and lymphoid lineages. Using this system the authors have analyzed the factors controlling proliferation of stem cells (CFU-S), differentiation and maturation of granulocyte/macrophage precursors cells (CFU-C), leukemic transformation by chemicals and viruses, the role of environment versus stem cells in the etiology of hemopoietic aplasias and the possible usefulness of long-term cultures for bone marrow transplantation.