Implantation of Normal Blood-Forming Tissue in Genetically Anemic Mice,Without X-irradiation of Host. ∗

Abstract

Summary

Successful implantation, without x-irradiation or other pretreatment of host, of isologous blood forming tissue from normal (ww) mouse fetal liver in viable severely anemic recipients (20 of 24 adult WW ^v mice, 9 of 14 juvenile WW ^v mice) and in lethally anemic recipients (4 of 15 juvenile WW mice) has been demonstrated. Criteria of success were permanent increase in rbc/mm³ to near-normal levels, and decrease of mean cell volume from macrocytic to normocytic levels. These changes appeared in WW ^v adult anemic hosts longer after cell injection than in similar transplant experiments with WW ^v hosts subjected to 200-r whole-body irradiation. These findings fit well with the hypothesis of competition between slow-acting indigenous blood forming tissue of genetically anemic hosts and initially small implants of rapidly functioning blood forming tissue from genetically normal donors. If methods for circumventing homografts can be found, cell implantation may be generally useful for therapy of genetic defects in erythropoiesis.