Patent ID: 7723047

Claim:
A method of enriching luminal restricted colony forming cells in a sample containing mammary cells comprising 1) reacting the sample with a first antibody composition comprising antibodies that bind to the antigens CD45, Ter119 and CD31 on non-epithelial cells under conditions so that conjugates are formed between the antibodies and the cells in the sample containing the non-epithelial antigens; 2) removing the conjugates; 3) recovering a cell preparation which is enriched in mammary epithelial cells; 4) reacting the sample enriched in epithelial cells with a second antibody composition capable of binding the antigens CD24 and/or CD14 under conditions so that conjugates form between antibodies and the cells in the sample containing the antigens CD24 and/or CD14; and 5) recovering the conjugates wherein the cells in the conjugates comprise luminal restricted colony forming cells.