35
Views
11
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Article

Growth Requirements of Normal and Leukemic Human B Cell Progenitors

, , &
Pages 359-371 | Received 20 Jul 1993, Published online: 01 Jul 2009
 

Abstract

Leukemic lymphoblasts in B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) express morphologic, phenotypic and genotypic features which resemble those of B lymphocyte progenitors in normal bone marrow. Normal immature B cells and cells from most cases of B-lineage ALL rapidly die in vitro unless they are supported by bone marrow-derived stromal feeder layers. Techniques suitable for maintaining normal and leukemic immature B cells in culture have been developed. Thus, the stromal cell types and growth factors that generate a milieu suitable for immature B-cell development can now be elucidated. In addition, the similarities and discrepancies in survival requirements of normal and leukemic B cell precursors can be studied. We postulate that leukemic B cell precursors can survive and expand in microen-vironments incapable of supporting their normal counterparts, and that the study of the survival requirements of ALL cells will provide indications about the aggressivity of the disease in vivo. In this review, we discuss the culture conditions that support in vitro survival of human immature B cells, some of the factors that influence their expansion, and the putative molecular basis for the prolonged life-span of leukemic lymphoblasts.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.