Antibody can Isolate Stem Cells from Umbilical Cord Blood

A recent study shows that a new recombinant antibody may be able to detect and isolate mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) via a nonembryonic source of stem cells with promising applications in tissue engineering, blood stem cell transplantation and treatments for immune-mediated disorders.

Background information from the study notes that the antibody is recognized via a I blood group antigen that presents on MSCs through umbilical cord blood.

Coauthors from the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service and VTT Technical Research Center of Finland worked to identify a blood donor with high levels of the antibody in the blood group antigen.

The authors elaborate on information regarding the I antigen and how it can serve as a marker to detect and isolate MSCs in the umbilical cord blood (UCB) as described via the use of the antibody phage display technology to produce recombinant anti-I antibody that recognizes the I antigen on the surface of UCB-MSCs as well as via red blood cells.

"The authors have used antibody phage display technology to generate an anti-i antibody," BioResearch Open Access Editor Jane Taylor, PhD, MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Scotland said, via a press release. "The advantage of this technique is that antibodies against poorly immunogenic molecules can be generated, as an immunization strategy is not required. The availability of an anti-i antibody has the potential to improve the isolation efficiency of MSCs from umbilical cord blood samples."

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More information regarding the study can be found via BioResearch Open Access, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.