title: Treatment with G-CSF reduces acute myeloid leukemia blast viability in the presence of bone marrow stroma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The resulting clinical impact of the combined use of G-CSF with chemotherapy as a chemosensitizing strategy for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients is still controversial. In this study, the effect of ex vivo treatment with G-CSF on AML primary blasts was studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from AML patients were treated with G-CSF at increasing doses, alone or in co-culture with HS-5 stromal cells. Cell viability and surface phenotype was determined by flow cytometry 72 h after treatment. For clonogenicity assays, AML primary samples were treated for 18 h with G-CSF at increasing concentrations and cultured in methyl-cellulose for 14 days. Colonies were counted based on cellularity and morphology criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The presence of G-CSF reduced the overall viability of AML cells co-cultured with bone marrow stroma; whereas, in absence of stroma, a negligible effect was observed. Moreover, clonogenic capacity of AML cells was significantly reduced upon treatment with G-CSF. Interestingly, reduction in the AML clonogenic capacity correlated with the sensitivity to chemotherapy observed in vivo.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These ex vivo results would provide a biological basis to data available from studies showing a clinical benefit with the use of G-CSF as a priming agent in patients with a chemosensitive AML and would support implementation of further studies exploring new strategies of chemotherapy priming in AML.
authors.affiliation: Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Campus Clínic-University of Barcelona, Rosselló 149-153, 08036 Barcelona, Spain ; Department of Hematology, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Meritxell
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nomdedeu
authors.affiliation: Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Campus Clínic-University of Barcelona, Rosselló 149-153, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: María Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lara-Castillo
authors.affiliation: Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Campus Clínic-University of Barcelona, Rosselló 149-153, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Amaia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Etxabe
authors.affiliation: Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Campus Clínic-University of Barcelona, Rosselló 149-153, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Josep María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cornet-Masana
authors.affiliation: Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Campus Clínic-University of Barcelona, Rosselló 149-153, 08036 Barcelona, Spain ; Department of Hematology, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain ; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain ; Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pratcorona
authors.affiliation: Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Campus Clínic-University of Barcelona, Rosselló 149-153, 08036 Barcelona, Spain ; Department of Hematology, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain ; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Díaz-Beyá
authors.affiliation: Hematopathology Unit, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Calvo
authors.affiliation: Hematopathology Unit, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rozman
authors.affiliation: Hematopathology Unit, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Dolors
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Campus Clínic-University of Barcelona, Rosselló 149-153, 08036 Barcelona, Spain ; Department of Hematology, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain ; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Esteve
authors.affiliation: Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Campus Clínic-University of Barcelona, Rosselló 149-153, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ruth M
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4048-9536
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Risueño
keywords: AML; Chemotherapy priming; G-CSF