Cryopreservation of the human multipotent stem cell.

Light density human bone marrow cells were cryopreserved, then thawed and tested for their ability to form myeloid (CFUGM), erythroid (BFUE) and mixed myeloid-erythroid colonies in vitro. Proliferation of mixed hematopoietic colonies was supported by conditioned media from a human T-lymphocyte cell line and erythropoietin. All mixed colonies contained neutrophil and erythroid precursors and approximately 25% had mononuclear phagocytes. Following cryopreservation the bone marrow retained its capacity to form mixed colonies without apparent loss. The recovery of CFUGM and BFUE was 76% and 72% respectively.