Detection and clinical significance of human acute myeloid leukaemia progenitors capable of long-term proliferation in vitro

摘要: Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) blasts within individual patients are heterogeneous in their surface antigen expression and proliferative ability suggesting that, subsequent to transformation, differentiation occurs creating a hierarchy of progenitors AML. Cells that can produce AML colonies (colony forming units, CFU) in growth factor containing suspension cultures (SC) over 4–8 weeks have phenotype similar engraft non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mice, but different from bulk blasts, these SC-initiating cells (SC-IC) may be early progenitors. In this study, we evaluated culture conditions provide for optimal growth capable long-term proliferation. The frequency CFU, both initially after 2–4 weeks SC, varied four logs between was not related French–American–British subtype. Using limiting dilution, the potential SC-IC 1 480 CFU. CFU SC > 4 weeks prognostic patient survival, correlated with NOD/SCID engrafting ability. These results suggest use culture as an assay sustaining potential.