SERUM-FREE MEDIUM FOR HEMATOPOIETIC CELLS

THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO DEVELOP A SERUM-FREE MEDIUM THAT WILL SUPPORT THE GROWTH AND DIFFERENTIATION OF HEMATOPOIETIC CELLS. THE INITIAL RESEARCH WILL FOCUS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SERUM-FREE MEDIUM THAT WILL SUPPORT THE GROWTH AND DIFFERENTIATION OF ERYTHROCYTES, GRANULOCYTES, MACROPHAGES, AND LYMPHOCYTES. SPECIFIC ATTENTION WILL BE PAID TO THE PURITY OF EACH COMPONENT AND ONLY HUMAN COMPOUNDS WILL BE USED WHERE BIOLOGICAL COMPONENTS ARE FOUND NECESSARY. SUCH STUDIES WILL EMPLOY THE IN VITRO ASSAYS THAT ARE ROUTINELY USED FOR HEMATOPOIETIC CELLS. THE INITIAL SERUM-FREE MEDIUM WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR THE PROLIFERATION OF NORMAL HUMAN PERIPHERAL BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES AND SUBSEQUENTLY MODIFIED FOR BONE MARROW CELLS. THIS APPROACH SHOULD NOT ONLY LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SERUM-FREE MEDIUM BUT ELUCIDATE THE ROLE EACH COMPONENT PLAYS IN HEMATOPOIESIS. PHASE I WILL PRIMARILY USE ERYTHROCYTES, GRANULOCYTES, AND MACROPHAGES TO GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPONENTS THAT WILL SUPPORT PROLIFERATION AND DIFFERENTIATION OF HEMATOPOIETIC CELLS. PHASE II WILL EXTEND THIS EFFORT TO DEVELOP A SERUM-FREE MEDIUM FOR ALL THE HUMAN HEMATOPOIETIC CELLS. SUCH A MEDIUM WILL BE USEFUL FOR STANDARDIZING IN VITRO HEMATOPOIETIC ASSAYS AND TRANSPLANTATION STUDIES WHERE SPECIFIC BONE MARROW POPULATIONS NEED TO BE EXPANDED.