Present status of in vitro cultivation of animal-infective African trypanosomes

Abstract

A detailed review is given of the cultivation of Trypanosoma brucei in vitro, especially at 37 deg C. Much information is given about technical procedures. By appropriately varying the culture conditions, especially the temperature, it has been possible to obtain the complete cyclic development of T. brucei in vitro in the presence of bovine feeder layer cells, suggesting that tsetse fly tissues are not necessary. During prolonged in vitro cultivation the trypanosomes tend to lose much of their virulence for mice. 38 references are cited.