Neutrophils are phagocytic granulocytes that spend most of their lives circulating in peripheral blood. Within the bloodstream they account for approximately 60% of all leukocytes. Once stimulated by a sequence of inflammatory events, neutrophils are one of the first of the inflammatory cells to migrate to areas of infection or tissue injury where they engulf bacteria, other microorganisms, and microscopic particles.

Umbilical cord blood neutrophils are isolated from whole cord blood in a multi-step process. First, whole cord blood is treated with HetaSep to deplete red blood cells. Granulocytes are further enriched via density gradient centrifugation and processed to remove remaining red blood cells. Finally, cells expressing CD2, CD3, CD9, CD19, CD36, CD56, and CD235a are depleted from the granulocyte enriched fraction using immunomagnetic particles leaving purified, untouched neutrophils. Purity is assessed using CD16 and CD66b antibodies by flow cytometry.

Cells were obtained using Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved consent forms and protocols.