Bone Marrow Repopulation of Subcutaneously Grafted Mouse Femurs

Using the T6 chromosome marker, the karyotypes of hemopoietic cells which repopulated subcutaneously transplanted femurs in syngeneic mice were observed 200 days after transplantation. Nine ossicles contained cells derived from both donor and recipient and 5 contained cells derived only from the recipient. It is postulated that the cellular elements of the new bone, which is formed after transplantation, contains cells derived from both donor and recipient. It is further suggested that these cells can differentiate to form hemopoietic cells thus explaining the presence of chimeras in the ossicles. The migration of the recipient's hemopoietic stem cells into the ossicle with subsequent proliferation probably occurs simultaneously.