Products and methods for single parameter and multiparameter phenotyping of cells

A method of quantitating a specific cell type in a cell suspension comprising the following steps:

• a) providing a suspension of cells in a liquid medium, said cells including first cells, said first cells comprising second cells and optionally third cells,
• b) counting the number of first cells per unit volume of said suspension,
• c) performing one of steps (c1) and (c2)
• (c1) incubating in said suspension first beads and second beads, each of said first beads being adapted to bind to at least one of said first cells, each of said second beads being adapted to bind to at least one of said second cells, said incubation being for a period of time effective to permit said first beads to bind to said first cells to form first bead-cell complexes, said incubation being for a period of time effective to permit said second beads to bind to said second cells to form second bead-cell complexes,
• (c2) incubating in said suspension first beads and second beads, each of said first beads being adapted to bind to at least one of said second cells, each of said second beads being adapted to bind to at least one of said third cells, said incubation being for a period of time effective to permit said first beads to bind to said second cells to form first bead-cell complexes, said incubation being for a period of time effective to permit said second beads to bind to said third cells to form second bead-cell complexes,
• d) separating said first bead-cell complexes and said second bead-cell complexes from said suspension,
• e) estimating the relative percentages of 1) the cells bound to the first beads and 2) the cells bound to the second beads, and
• f) calculating the number of second cells or the number of third cells per unit volume of said suspension.

A method for preparing an enriched population of a target cell comprising the following steps:

• a) providing a suspension of cells in a liquid medium, said cells including target cells,
• b) contacting a group of first beads with said suspension, each of said first beads being coated with a binding substance or being magnetic such that each first bead is adapted to bind to at least one of said target cells,
• c) incubating said first beads with said suspension for a period of time effective to permit said target cells to bind to said first beads to form first bead-target cell complexes, each first bead-target cell complex comprising a first bead and target cell,
• d) separating said first bead-target cell complexes from said suspension, and
• e) resuspending said target cells in another liquid medium.