Isolation of Highly Purified Autologous and Allogeneic Peripheral CD34+ Cells Using the CliniMACS Device

Abstract

The CliniMACS TM CD34+ selection device was used for positive selection of apheresis products for autologous transplantation from 10 patients with malignant diseases and for allogeneic transplantation from 26 healthy donors. A total of 71 separations were performed. In 1 allogeneic donor, CD34+ progenitors were also isolated from bone marrow. Between 0.27 and 8.9 X 10 10 nucleated cells (median 4.9 X 10 10) containing 0.09%-10.8% (median 0.67%) CD34+ progenitor cells were separated. After separation, a median number of 227 X 10 6 mononuclear cells (MNC) (51-524) were recovered, with a median viability of 99%(22%-100%) and a median purity of 97.0% (68.3%-99.7%) CD34+ cells. Depletion of T cells was extensive, with a median of 0.04% residual CD3+ cells (range <0.01%-0.92%). Residual CD19+ cells were between<0.01% and 17%, including CD34+ CD19+ cells. Recovery of CD34+ cells was calculated according to the ISHAGE guidelines and ranged from 24% to 105% (median 71%). We conclude that with the CliniMACS TM device CD34+ cells with high purity and recovery can be isolated with concomitant effective T cell depletion in the allogeneic setting and with a high purging efficacy in the autologous setting.