Product Name: CD4 MicroBeads, human

Background information:

CD4 is an accessory molecule in the recognition of MHC class II/peptide complexes by the TCR heterodimers on CD4+ T helper cells. CD4 is expressed on T helper cells and at a lower level on monocytes and dendritic cells. The CD4 molecule is the receptor for the human immunodeficiency virus. The CD4 antibody recognizes most thymocytes and about 65% of all peripheral blood T cells.

Downstream applications:

Isolation or depletion of CD4+ T helper cells is performed in many different fields of research, such as infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, allergy, asthma, and tumor immunology. T helper cells isolated by MACS® Technology remain viable and functional. Therefore, they can be used for further functional studies, such as proliferation assays and cytotoxicity assays, as well as for the generation of T cell lines. CD4+ T cells purified with CD4 MicroBeads have also been cultured and analyzed for in vitro cytokine production.4 Furthermore, they have been used in co‑culture experiments, e.g., for allogeneic stimulation by dendritic cells1 or for B cell activation.

T helper cells isolated by MACS® Tech­nology were also used for studies on viral infections, e.g., for in vitro infections of cells with HIV, to determine the infectivity of HIV-infected follicular dendritic cells, immune reconstitution after anti-viral therapy, and for monitoring of immune abnormalities in children of HIV-infected mothers8.