In vitro repopulation of haemopoietic stem cells after irradiation.

A culture system was designed in which proliferation of the haemopoietic stem cells was supported by adherent ‘stromal’ cell colonies. Application of the culture system to studies on kinetic behaviour of the haemopoietic stem cells after irradiation revealed ; i) bone marrow stromal cells were radiosensitive with Do=95 R, when measured as the capability to proliferate and form adherent cell colonies in vitro, ii) radiosensitivity of the pluripotent stem cells (CFUs) in vitro was within the range of the in vivo sensitivity, iii) irradiated bone marrow cells under in vitro condition could repopulate at the same rate as those under in vivo condition, thereby suggesting that the function related to the support of haemopoiesis was radioresistant, iv) concentrations of both CFUs and granulocyte-macrophage precursor cells (CFUc) were higher in the irradiated cultures than those in unirradiated control culture at 3 weeks after irradiation.