Method for enriching rare cell subpopulations from blood
AssigneeMedical Discovery Partners LLC
InventorsSarah K. Olken, Steven A. Bogen, Seshi R. Sompuram
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Abstract
An antigen-dependent negative selection blood cell separation method is described. Rare circulating epithelial cells can be separated from blood by depleting erythrocytes from a blood sample. Erythrocytes are depleted by agglutination. The new method comprises the use of an agglutinating agent, such as an anti-glycophorin A or glycophorin B antibody, as glycophorin A or B are present on erythrocytes and not on the desired epithelial cells. With regular mixing, desired rare circulating epithelial cells do not become entrapped in the red cell agglutinate.
Claims17
A method of separating a desired cell type from an erythrocyte-containing cell suspension containing both erythrocytes and the desired cell type, comprising:
- adding an agglutinating agent to the erythrocyte-containing cell suspension at a concentration that causes erythrocytes to agglutinate, wherein said agglutinating agent does not bind to the desired cell type;
- wherein said agglutinating agent is an antibody, wherein said antibody has the following properties:
- (a) the antibody binds to an erythrocyte cell surface molecule, (b) the antibody does not bind to the desired non-erythrocyte cell type and (c) said antibody causes erythrocytes to agglutinate and form erythrocyte-antibody agglutinates including said antibody;
- regularly mixing the cell suspension;
- and
- separating the erythrocyte-antibody agglutinates from the desired cell type in the cell suspension in a liquid of a homogeneous density.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.