Patent ID: 7507528

Claim:
A method for detection of a predetermined biological cell in a sample containing biological cells comprising: (i) mixing the sample with (a) a predetermined combination of at least two antibodies and/or antibody derivatives that bind to two different epitopes of the cell to be detected, or with (b) at least one bispecific antibody and/or antibody derivative that binds to two different epitopes of the cell to be detected, wherein said predetermined combination of at least two antibodies or bispecific antibody provides an increased sensitivity in terms of the number of cells that can be detected in a given sample volume as compared to the number of cells that can be detected in said sample volume using a single monospecific antibody that binds to one of said epitopes, (ii) binding the cell with at least one of the antibodies and/or antibody derivatives thereby marking the cell, (iii) separating the marked cell from the sample, and (iv) testing the separated cell for the expression of a predetermined combination of at least two mRNAs, the expression of which is effected in the cell to be detected, wherein the expression of at least one of the mRNAs indicates the predetermined cell is detected, wherein said increased sensitivity is achieved without a decrease in specificity.