Elimination of B-lymphoma cells from human bone marrow: model experiments using monodisperse magnetic particles coated with primary monoclonal antibodies.

Conditions for removing B-lymphoma cells from human bone marrow using "immunobeads" (IBs) were investigated. The IBs were prepared by coupling monoclonal antibodies directly to a new type of monodisperse magnetic polymer particles (M 450). Two monoclonal immunoglobulin M antibodies, AB-1 (CD 19), a B-cell-specific antibody, and AB-4, an HLA-DR-specific antibody, were used. The IBs were incubated with Rael Burkitt lymphoma cells admixed to fresh, mononuclear human bone marrow cells. After incubation for 30 min at 4 degrees C, the IBs were removed using cobalt samarium magnets. The number of remaining clonogenic tumor cells was assayed by the Courtenay and Mills soft agar procedure, and the clonogenic capacity of the bone marrow progenitor cells was measured by granulocyte-monocyte and granulocyte-erythroid-monocyte-megakaryocyte assays. With a ratio of tumor cells to normal bone marrow cells of 0.1 or 0.01 and a ratio of immunobeads to tumor cells in excess of 75, a tumor cell depletion of more than 3 logs was achieved with the AB-4 IBs and slightly less with the AB-1 beads. After two consecutive cycles of purification with the AB-4 beads, no colonies were found, corresponding to more than 6 logs of purification. In the case of the AB-1 beads, 4 to 5 logs of purification were achieved. The concomitant reduction in clonogenic bone marrow progenitor cells was only 30 to 40%. Flow cytometric studies showed that the tumor cell population contained appreciable proportions of cells binding only small amounts of the antibodies used. The results indicate that the IB procedure is highly efficient and capable of removing tumor cells expressing low levels of antigen. Compared to other purging methods in use the procedure described seems to offer several advantages with respect to efficacy, speed, and simplicity. By the use of a panel of suitable antibodies the new immunobead procedure may be potentially useful in autologous bone marrow transplantation of B-lymphomas and non-T-leukemias with poor prognosis.