Effect of interferon on pluripotent hemopoietic progenitors (CFU-GEMM) derived from human bone marrow.

A culture assay for multilineage hemopoietic progenitors (CFU-GEMM) that form mixed hematopoietic colonies containing granulocytes, erythroblasts, megakaryocytes and macrophages was described. The effect of human leukocyte interferon on multilineage hemopoietic progenitors was examined. Leukocyte interferon does reduce the plating efficiency of noncommitted precursors (CFU-GEMM) in a dose related fashion. A reduction of the plating efficiency of mixed hemopoietic colonies was observed even when interferon was added 72 hours after initiation of the cultures.