Effect of stem cell factor (c-kit ligand) on clonogenic leukemic precursor cells: synergy with other hematopoietic growth factors.

Using clonogenic assay we investigated the effect of stem cell factor (SCF) on the in vitro growth of clonogenic precursor cells from acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in the presence or absence of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEpo) or recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF). SCF as a single factor did not induce significant colony formation, and even in the presence of rhEPO or rhG-CSF it very weakly stimulated erythroid colony formation and was rarely capable of inducing myeloid colony formation by clonogenic leukemic cells. In culture dishes supplemented with SCF, both myeloid and erythroid colony formations were dramatically enhanced in MDS, regarding both colony number and size. Colony-formation abilities by MDS progenitors were improved following costimulation with SCF and rhEpo. These results suggest that SCF may have a therapeutic role in restoring hematopoiesis in patients with MDS.