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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Colony Forming Cell (CFC) Assay for Human Hematopoietic Cells
Published on: December 18, 2010
Colony-stimulating factors and cell cycle in the chemotherapy of acute myelogenous leukemia
J F Viallard1, M Puntous, C Grosset
1Laboratoire de Greffe de Moëlle, Université de Bordeaux II, France.
Over the past decade, Hematopoietic Growth Factors (HGFs) have been shown to improve the treatment of malignant blood diseases. They reduce the duration of leucopenia after chemotherapy and the associated infectious morbidity, without affecting remission duration, or percentage of patients resistant to chemotherapy. Moreover, HGFs are able to increase the percentage of leukemic cells in the S phase. In consequence, HGFs have been used in acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) to recruit quiescent clonogenic blasts to improve the cytotoxic effects of cell cycle specific drugs. The clinical results are divergent and do not allow definite conclusions. However, in vitro, the efficacy of HGFs to enhance cytosine arabinoside (ara-C)-mediated cytotoxicity has been reported. Whether the HGFs-mediated increase in the antileukemic activity of ara-C is caused by changes in the cell cycle status of AML blasts or by other mechanism(s) is currently debated.
Over the past decade, Hematopoietic Growth Factors (HGFs) have been shown to improve the treatment of malignant blood diseases. They reduce the duration of leucopenia after chemotherapy and the associated infectious morbidity, without affecting remission duration, or percentage of patients resistant to chemotherapy. Moreover, HGFs are able to increase the percentage of leukemic cells in the S phase. In consequence, HGFs have been used in acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) to recruit quiescent clonogenic blasts to improve the cytotoxic effects of cell cycle specific drugs. The clinical results are divergent and do not allow definite conclusions. However, in vitro, the efficacy of HGFs to enhance cytosine arabinoside (ara-C)-mediated cytotoxicity has been reported. Whether the HGFs-mediated increase in the antileukemic activity of ara-C is caused by changes in the cell cycle status of AML blasts or by other mechanism(s) is currently debated.
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