HIGH EFFICIENCY MICROFLUIDIC PURIFICATION OF STEM CELLS TO IMPROVE TRANSPLANTS
Described herein is a novel, highly efficient system to remove erythrocytes and purify leukocytes would raise the quality of UCB and other transplant grafts, thereby significantly improving patient outcomes.
1 . A method for isolating stem cells from a sample for transplantation, the method comprising:
(a) providing a sample comprising erythrocytes and leukocytes, the sample having a volume of less than 300 mL;
(b) depleting the erythrocytes; and
(c) enriching the leukocytes to a purity of at least 90%.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample is umbilical cord blood.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the umbilical cord blood is not cryopreserved.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the stem cells in a transplantation procedure.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the yield of leukocytes is at least 90%.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the viability of the leukocytes is at least 90%.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed in less than 1 hour.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed in less than 10 minutes.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample has at least 1000-fold more erythrocytes than leukocytes.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method does not use centrifugation, Ficoll-Paque or HES
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein neither the erythrocytes nor the leukocytes are derivatized or labeled.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample is flowed through a biochip having a plurality of microscopic obstructions that sort the erythrocytes from the leukocytes.