Myelo-lymphopoiesis in long-term bone marrow culture

In vitro analysis of early haemopoietic events has been hampered by the absence of culture systems allowing long-term maintainance and proliferation of self-renewing multipotent stem cells. Recently, a liquid culture system has been established which allows in vitro proliferation of haemopoietic stem cells and of haemopoietic precursor and mature end cells for several months. There is good evidence that this long-term proliferation is due to a micro-environment established by bone-marrow-derived stromal cells. This review attempts to summarize recent results in analysing haemopoietic control mechanisms, leukaemogenesis and haematological disorders by applying this culture system using both murine and human bone marrow cells.