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Updated: Oct 1, 2025

Isolation and Cryopreservation of Highly Viable Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells From Whole Blood: A Guide for Beginners
Published on: October 25, 2024
Isolation and freezing of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells from pregnant patients
Athina Efthymiou1,2, Nicoleta Mureanu1,2, Rebecca Pemberton3
1Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course & Population Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine King's College London, 10th Floor North Wing St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, UK.
To analyze immune cell populations accurately, a large number of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) must be obtained from blood samples. Traditional manual isolation and SepMateTM isolation of PBMCs consistently yield blood-stained plasma layers and overall low numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ cells. Here, we describe an optimized protocol, using PBS with EDTA to increase PBMC yield from pregnant patients. This protocol enables analysis of CD4+, CD8+, and Regulatory T Cells and is potentially applicable to any immune cell population. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to the SepMateTM website https://www.stemcell.com/products/brands/SepMateTM-pbmc-isolation.html.
To analyze immune cell populations accurately, a large number of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) must be obtained from blood samples. Traditional manual isolation and SepMateTM isolation of PBMCs consistently yield blood-stained plasma layers and overall low numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ cells. Here, we describe an optimized protocol, using PBS with EDTA to increase PBMC yield from pregnant patients. This protocol enables analysis of CD4+, CD8+, and Regulatory T Cells and is potentially applicable to any immune cell population. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to the SepMateTM website https://www.stemcell.com/products/brands/SepMateTM-pbmc-isolation.html.

