[An in-vivo culture method for hematopoietic precursor cells: the diffusion chamber technique]

Several studies have demonstrated that hematopoietic cells can be successfully cultured for several weeks in diffusion chambers (DC) implanted both in experimental animals and man. This technique is a useful assay of hematopoietic cell growth and a powerful tool for studying stem cell kinetics in vivo. The evaluation of the effects of humoral factors on hematopoietic cell proliferation and differentiation in this system has led to identification of both stimulators and inhibitors that may be different from the well characterized cytokines.