Purification of human monocyte-macrophages by a cell suspension culture technique

Human monocytes transform after 6 days of culture into large monocyte-macrophages without adherence. They are then easily separated from other types of mononuclear cells on a Hypaque-Ficoll gradient. These cells can be obtained in suspension at greater than 90% purity. The method is simple, highly reproducible, and does not require complex fractionation equipment. This method can be utilized to obtain large numbers of highly purified viable monocytes without introducing the potential artifacts resulting from adherence of cells to surfaces and subsequent dislodgement procedures.