Immunomagnetic purging of t8 cells from peripheral blood and bone marrow: A preclinical study for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Methodology for T-cell subset depletion in allogeneic BMT was developed using anti-T8 antibody and magnetic microspheres. Anti-T8 antibodies bound effectively to the cytotoxic/suppressor T-cell subset and were subsequently removed by anti-mouse IgG coated magnetic microspheres. Following optimization of antibodyxell binding, microsphere:cell ratios and flow rate, T8-cells in peripheral blood were effectively removed (95-99% depletion), with an overall recovery of 37.8% ± 5.8% and with little, if any, differential damage to either stem cells or to NK-cells. When T8 cells were removed from bone marrow mononuclear cells, an average recovery of 76% ± 8.5% was observed, with 90% ± 4.3% removal of T8 cells. This method was developed both for peripheral blood and bone marrow and could therefore be readily used in a clinical purge setting for allogeneic BMT.