New strategies in the treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML): In vitro culture of AML cells - The present use in experimental studies and the possible importance for future therapeutic approaches

In vitro studies of cultured native acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) blasts and cell lines have contributed significantly to our present knowledge abo ut the pathogenesis of AML, In the present article we review different tech niques for preparation and in vitro culture of AML blasts, Well-characteriz ed serum-free in vitro conditions can now be used in experimental studies o f AR IL, and this makes comparisons between different studies easier,We als o describe assays for characterization of AML progenitor subsets (i.e., sus pension cultures, colony assays, long-term in vitro culture, xenotransplant ation in immunocompromised mice), and we discuss the possible use of AML, c ell lines as experimental models in AML. Furthermore, clinical studies sugg est that the in vitro growth characteristics of AML blasts assayed by short -term culture of the total native populations can be used as a predictor of prognosis after intensive chemotherapy, These in vitro assays may therefor e be used for more accurate identification of prognostic parameters and the reby form a basis for the development of simplified laboratory techniques s uitable for routine evaluation of patients undergoing risk-adapted therapy. However, it will be equally important to further evaluate the clinical rel evance of assays for primitive ARIL progenitors, and to develop simplified methods that can be used to characterize these progenitor subsets in the ro utine clinical evaluation.