AFFINITY CELL SEPARATIONS - PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS

The use of biospecific interactions for the separation and recovery of biomolecules is widely established, but developments in affinity-base d separations for cell fractionation have been slow. Many of the probl ems encountered result from applying techniques developed for molecula r systems to cell separation with only minor modification to the condi tions. This approach tends to ignore, or at least trivialize, the prob lems that arise from the heterogeneous nature of a cell suspension and the implications of cooperativity that can occur with multivalent int eractions. This article considers how alternative protocols might be u sed to develop more attractive cell-separation processes.