Nontransformed colony-derived stromal cell lines from normal human marrows. I. Growth requirement and myelopoiesis supportive ability.

We report a new method for generating nontransformed human stromal cell lines with a replicative potential of 20 to 25 doublings yielding 10(6) to 3 x 10(7) cells after 4 to 6 weeks. Cells from week-3 to -6 adherent layers of human long-term bone marrow cultures (LTBMC) were plated in methylcellulose in the presence of 20 U/mL interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and 200 U/mL tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). After 2 to 3 weeks, we obtained 180 +/- 14 colonies per 10(5) cells seeded. These well-delineated colonies with a dense central core consisted of up to several hundred tightly packed, identical, large refractile cells. Colonies were determined to be clones by sequential examination of the cultures and the linear relationship between the number of colonies counted and cells seeded. Colony-derived cell lines (CDCL) were developed by seeding individual colonies in long-term culture medium (LTCM) supplemented with 20 ng/mL basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The selection of colonies yielding lines with high proliferative capacity was due to the presence of IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha in the semisolid medium. The most effective concentrations for clonal selection were 200 U/mL TNF-alpha and 20 U/mL IL-1 beta. The growth of CDCL in liquid culture depended on the presence of bFGF, with the most effective concentration at 20 ng/mL. CDCL were able to maintain the output of colony-forming units granulocyte/macrophage and burst-forming unit-erythrocyte (CFU-GM and BFU-E) for several weeks from cocultured CD34+ marrow cells. The weekly CFU-GM and BFU-E output from weeks 2-5 was at least the same as observed when using passaged adherent layers. CDCL represent a progenitor cell population for stromal cells that may prove a suitable model for the study of the relationship between marrow stromal cells and hematopoiesis.