Standard processing techniques can lead to an increase in dead cell concentration after cell separation. Shaking and centrifugation steps can be common in cell separation protocols. The breakdown of cells caused by excessive handling, centrifugation, or shaking of a sample releases debris into the suspension, accelerating apoptosis and increasing environmental toxicity.
Physical cell-sorting processes like fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and the use of magnets can increase dead cell count by triggering cell membrane ruptures. To clearly understand the dead cell content of a sample, dead cell populations can be calculated using flow cytometry or microscopy using viability dyes.
Once the cell ruptures, the inner cell contents, nucleic acids, and proteins are released into the sample, potentially interfering with numerous molecular tests and triggering an inflammatory response. This phenomenon can exponentially affect the sample as the inflammation triggers apoptosis in neighboring cells. Removing dead cells from an isolated cell sample improves the viability and function of living cells and purifies the sample for more accurate and specific testing.