The ex vivo maintenance and manipulation of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) has historically been problematic.   Cytomatrix has developed a novel three-dimensional biomaterial, termed Cellfoam^TM, which enables the culture of multipotent HPCs over extended periods in the absence of exogenous cytokines or using only very low levels of selected cytokines.  Such findings indicate that the system may be unique in its ability to maintain and manipulate HPCs ex vivo over extended periods.  Phase II will test the clinical value of cells treated as such through a murine animal model and will develop and assess prototype Cellfoam systems for 1) assaying the effects of drugs and chemicals on HPCs and 2) utilizing ex vivo treatment approaches in the elimination of tumor cells primary HPC samples through purging and cytoprotection adjuvants.  These products will capitalize on the ability to utilize cytokine-free and low-level cytokine-supplementation culture to maintain and treat HPCs in assays and for clinical applications such as tumor cell purging for bone marrow transplantation procedures.