PGM-1: a transplantable murine leukemia of granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells

PGM-1 is a transplantable leukemia of C3H/HeJ mice growing as a population of undifferentiated blast cells with a predisposition to form subcutaneous tumors and to grow in lymphoid organs. Cell survival and proliferation in vitro are absolutely dependent on stimulation by hemopoietic growth factors, and up to 100% of tumor cells can form colonies of mature granulocytes and/or macrophages in semisolid cultures, the colonies containing no clonogenic cells. Most clonogenic cells in the leukemic population respond to stimulation by multi-colony-stimulating factor (IL-3) or GM-CSF, but some respond also to M-CSF, G-CSF, IL-4, IL-5, or IL-6. In their surface phenotype and proliferative characteristics in vitro, PGM-1 leukemic cells resemble normal granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells, and the leukemia may be a useful model for human chronic myeloid leukemia.