Proliferation kinetics and cyclic AMP in human leukaemic cells: their relevance to therapy.

In the cells of acute leukemia the duration of the cell cycle and its phases was determined in vitro by autoradiographic techniques. Tests were run simultaneously for bone marrow and peripheral leukaemic cells and the intracellular levels of cAMP were measured. The results suggest a correlation to exist between cAMP concentration in leukaemic cells and the growth rate of the cell population. Hence, cAMP assays appear to be suited for monitoring cellular proliferation kinetics and could provide a useful parameter for planning cell-phase-specific therapy.