With the wider use of cellular immune therapies, there is an increased demand from researchers for highly concentrated PBMC from a single individual. The traditional method of isolating PBMC from standard blood donations is limited by the maximum volume of blood that can be collected per donor (500 ml) and typically results in 1 to 2 million PMBC per ml of blood. Leukapheresis is the process by which a large number of total nucleated cells are separated from the blood of a single donor, resulting in a high concentration of PBMC, such as lymphocytes (T cells, B cells, and NK cells), monocytes and dendritic cells.
1. Whole blood is collected from the donor via intravenous tube in one arm
2. Whole blood passes through a Spectra Optia® apheresis machine, which separates white blood cells from the blood
3. The white blood cells are collected in a leukopak for storage
4. The unused blood components are safely returned to the donor via intravenous tube in the other arm
Spectra Optia is a registered trademark of Terumo BCT, Inc