High throughput, cell line-based screening methods don’t capture the fastidious growth requirements of primary bone marrow progenitor cells, and have led to late-stage drug failure due to unacceptable toxicity in the clinic. When performed by highly trained, experienced personnel, the well validated colony forming cell (CFC) assay is predictive of these consequences. Further, data from this type of assay is often requested by regulatory bodies, including the FDA, before clinical trials can proceed.
