The rhesus monkey: a primate model for hemopoietic stem cell studies

Two heterogeneous cell populations (CP 1-7 and CP 8-10) were separated from rhesus monkey bone marrow using counterflow centrifugation-elutriation (CCE). These two cell populations were distinct with respect to morphological composition, expression of cell surface antigens, hemopoietic progenitor cell activity, and concentration of hemopoietic stem cells (HSC). The hemopoietic progenitor cell activity and HSC were concentrated in CP 8-10. In autologous transplantation studies, CP 8-10 reconstituted the lymphohemopoietic system of lethally irradiated monkeys in a manner similar to that of monkeys transplanted with unfractionated bone marrow cells. CP 1-7 was lymphocyte rich and depleted of progenitor cell activity. Transplantation of CP 1-7 led to eventual lymphohemopoietic reconstitution of irradiated monkeys; however, complete engraftment was delayed by as much as 14 days compared to either the transplantation of CP 8-10 or to unfractionated bone marrow. Thus, a presence of the HSC in the lymphocyte-rich progenitor-cell-depleted population can be detected in the rhesus model.