ISOLATION OF PURE POPULATIONS OF EPITHELIAL AND MYOEPITHELIAL CELLS FROM THE NORMAL HUMAN MAMMARY-GLAND USING IMMUNOMAGNETIC SEPARATION WITH DYNABEADS

Monoclonal antibodies to epithelial membrane antigen and common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen were bound to second antibody-coated ma gnetic microspheres. These specific antibody/bead complexes were then used to directly isolate purified epithelial and myoepithelial cells f rom normal breast organoid cell preparations by magnetic separation. N ear homogeneous cell populations were selected with yields of 10-20 X 10(6) epithelial and myoepithelial cells per organoid preparation. Rep eated purification steps allowed almost complete depletion of myoepith elial cells for RNA studies. Tissue culture of separated cell populati ons in appropriate defined media further ensured purity of cell type a nd was unimpeded by Dynabead attachment. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.