[28] Separation of Lymphoid Cells on Nylon Wool Columns

This chapter focuses on separation of lymphoid cells on nylon wool columns. This technique employs fibers which have not been specifically coated with ligand, relying on a natural affinity of certain lymphoid cells to bind to this support. The advantages of this protocol is that it is an inexpensive, rapid single step procedure for the separation and purification of cells from heterogeneous mononuclear cell preparations that also produces cells with high viability for use in vitro and in vivo experiments. The chapter explores that nonadherent T cells pass through the column material while B cells and monocytes are retained. With gentle agitation and differential centrifugation these adherent cells are easily collected. It reviews that B cells recovered from the nylon fiber have been demonstrated to retain functional activity. It was explained by using B cells recovered from nylon fiber columns and measuring adoptive transfer of antibody-producing cells. Thus, the nylon fiber column technique is useful for the rapid preparation of relatively pure, functionally active T and B cell populations.