Monoclonal antibody STRO-4

1. A method of enriching a sample of cells for adult multipotential cells, the method comprising preparing a cell sample from a tissue source and enriching for adult multipotential cells that express the HSP-90beta marker using a HSP-90beta binding agent or antigen binding fragment thereof, wherein the HSP-90beta binding agent is a STRO-4 monoclonal antibody or antigen-binding fragment or derivative thereof or an antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof having the same specificity as the STRO-4 monoclonal antibody.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein enriching for cells that express the HSP-90beta marker comprises:

contacting a cell sample with the HSP-90beta binding agent; and

separating cells bound to the HSP-90beta binding agent from cells that do not bind the HSP-90beta binding agent.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the HSP-90beta binding agent or antigen binding fragment or derivative thereof is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a STRO-4 monoclonal antibody;

(ii) a chimeric antibody comprising heavy and light chain variable regions from STRO-4 and human heavy and light chain constant regions; and

(iii) a humanized antibody comprising at least one complementarity determining region (CDR) from STRO-4 and human framework and constant region sequences.

4. A method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the HSP-90beta binding agent or antigen binding fragment or derivative thereof is a STRO-4 antibody or an antigen-binding fragment of the STRO-4 antibody and wherein the STRO-4 antibody is produced by the hybridoma cell line deposited with ATCC on 10 Jul. 2008 under the provisions of the Budapest Treaty under deposit accession number PTA-9362.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the cell sample is derived from placenta, adipose tissue, teeth, dental pulp, skin, liver, kidney, heart, retina, brain, hair follicles, intestine, lung, spleen, lymph node, thymus, ovary, pancreas, bone, ligament, bone marrow, tendon or skeletal muscle.