METHOD OF SEPARATING HAEMOPOIETIC PROGENITOR CELLS

摘要

The invention provides a method of separating haemopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) from within a mixed population of haemopoietic cells, which may contain malignant cells, characterised in that (1) said mixed population is treated with one or more negative selection antibodies reactive with the DP and DQ antigens of the MHC Class II but not with the monomorphic epitope of the DR antigen on the HPC, said negative selection antibody(s) being bound to magnetic particles before or after binding to said cells and the magnetic particles and attached negative selection antibody and cells being removed to leave a negatively selected population of cells including at least HPC, and (2) HPC and any cells associated therewith are treated with a positive selection antibody reactive with an antigen on said HPC, said antibody being bound to magnetic particles before or after binding to cells carrying said antigen, the magnetic particles and attached cells being separated from other cells by magnetic aggregation and the cells of optionally being liberated from the magnetic particles to leave a positively selected population of cells containing said HPC, steps (1) and (2) being effected in either order so that the said positively selected population of cells is the mixed population treated in step (1) or the said negatively selected population of cells are the cells treated in step (2).