title: Human long-term culture initiating cell assay.
abstract: The long-term culture initiating cell (LTC-IC) assay, founded on the bone marrow long-term culture (LTC) system, measures primitive hematopoietic stem cells (termed LTC-IC) based on their capacity to produce myeloid progeny for at least 5 weeks. Adaptations of the LTC system including the use of stromal cell lines, application of limiting dilution analysis, and estimation of average hematopoietic progenitor output per LTC-IC under defined conditions have made it possible to accurately determine LTC-IC content in minimally separated and highly purified cell populations from human hematopoietic tissue sources such as bone marrow, peripheral blood, cord blood, fetal liver as well as cord blood and mobilized peripheral blood. Methodologies for measuring human LTC-IC using bulk cultures, limiting dilution analysis, and single cell cultures are described.
authors.affiliation: Terry Fox Laboratory, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Cindy L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Connie J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Eaves
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D060846:Cell Engineering; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay / Q000379:methods*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D022423:Myeloid Cells / Q000166:cytology; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen