Human hematopoietic stem cells in long-term culture: quantitation and manipulation

These results suggest a potentially important role for the LTC system, not only in the development of a quantitative assay for hematopoietic cells, but also clinically as a procedure for manipulating autologous marrow in culture in a variety of ways for therapeutic advantage. These include strategies for immune modulation, gene marking and gene therapy, and perhaps eventually for stem cell amplification.