Study of granulocyte-macrophage progenitor (CFUc) preservation after slow freezing of bone marrow in the gas phase of liquid nitrogen.

Storage of human hematopoietic stem cells has been made possible through effective preservation of viability by freezing technique. We have studied the quantitative and qualitative aspects of granulocyte-macrophage precursor (CFUc) recovery from 29 bags of frozen bone marrow stored at - 160 degree C in the gas phase of liquid nitrogen for several months or years. it has been shown that with the freezing and preservation technique used, over 75% of the proliferative capacity of the cryopreserved CFUc was recovered. The influence of various factors on the quality of bone marrow preservation was studied and showed that dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) appeared to cause substantial loss of CFUc at 4 degree C. Evaluation of CFUc in vitro is essential for determining the quality and richness of cryopreserved bone marrow with a view to using such marrow for autologous grafting intensive chemotherapy or total body irradiation in patients with hematological malignancies or solid tumors. No correlation was found between the number of nucleated bone marrow cells and CFUc content.