Effect of interferon on colony formation in culture by blast cell
progenitors in acute myeloblastic leukemia
R Taetle, RN Buick and EA McCulloch
The effect of purified human fibroblast interferon on primary and secondary
colony formation by blast progenitors from the peripheral blood of patients
with acute myelogenous leukemia was examined. Interferon inhibited blast
progenitors and normal granulocyte/macrophage progenitors (CFU-C) in a
dose-dependent manner. The magnitude of this effect on blast progenitors
and CFU was similar. Interferon also inhibited secondary plating of blast
progenitors (self- renewal). This effect was in marked contrast to the
effect of adriamycin, which reduced primary plating efficiency of blast
progenitors but did not affect self-renewal. Inhibition of blast progenitor
proliferation by interferon was markedly reduced when interferon was added
after 24 hr of culture and was absent when added after 72 hr. Inhibition of
self-renewal was observed even when interferon was added at 72 hr. We
conclude that interferon inhibits both primary proliferation and
self-renewal of blast progenitors and that this effect is not due to
reduction in the number of primary colonies. These experiments provide an
example of how cell culture techniques may be used to test antitumor agents
for effects on important cellular events other than general cytotoxicity.
Volume 56,
Issue 3,
pp. 549-552,
09/01/1980
Copyright © 1980 by The American Society of Hematology
