Patent ID: 6355410
Filing Date: 2002-03-12
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A method of inhibiting cellular proliferation by reducing the internal pH of a cell, comprising the steps of:(a) harvesting cells from a human or animal; (b) labeling the cells with a fluorescent marker antibody capable of selectively identifying a cellular membrane marker; (c) labeling the cells with a pH-sensitive fluorescent dye; (d) labeling the cells with a fluorescent cell cycle marker; (e) applying the cells to a flow cytometry cell sorter and analyzing the cells for the fluorescent intensities of the marker antibody, the cell cycle marker, and the pH-sensitive dye; (f) sorting the analyzed cells into a low internal pH population and a high internal pH population; (g) inducing apoptosis in the sorted cell population having a high internal pH by adding a Na+/H+ exchanger inhibitor, and thereby inhibiting cellular proliferation.