HIGH-GRADIENT MAGNETIC SEPARATION IN BLOOD AND BONE-MARROW PROCESSING

High-gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) has been succesful in capturing red blood cells from whole blood. This is due to the paramagnetic property of the haemoglobin contained in red blood cells when it is in the deoxygenated state. The captured red blood cells and the processed white blood cells and platelets appear to be functionally undamaged by separation. The capture depends on field gradient, flow rate, dilution of the blood, size of filter and a number of other factors. Malarial parasite-containing red cells have been captured using this technique and elsewhere lymphocyte/red cell rosettes have been retained in the filter of a system using a field gradient produced by a superconducting magnet. The ex vivo processing of human bone marrow is currently under study. Removal of targetted cells from bone marrow, such as tumour cells or T-lymphocytes prior to reinfusion is currently practiced. Positive cell rescue, however, is not practicable as the present techniques mostly damage the targetted cells. We are applying high-gradient magnetic separation, using an antibody complex linked to the surface of red blood cells, which should recognise target cells within bone marrow. The whole complex is then liable to retention in a sufficiently high-gradient magnetic field and the target cell made available by red-blood-cell lysis. © 1990.