In vitro and in vivo assessment of the viability of cryopreserved postmortem murine bone marrow cells.

The viability of cryopreserved mouse fresh and postmortem bone marrow cells was studied using methylcellulose clonal cell culture assay and the murine spleen colony technique. This study clearly indicates the presence of pluripotent hemopoietic stem cells in cryopreserved murine postmortem bone marrow cells. The viability of granulocytic precursors in both fresh and postmortem bone marrow cells was mildly to moderately decreased by the freezing process, while the proliferative capacity of erythrocytic stem cells is significantly decreased by cryopreservation. The results strongly suggest that frozen, fresh and cadaveric bone marrow bank for bone marrow transplantation may be of value.