- Histopaque®-1077 is a sterile, ready‑to‑use density‑gradient medium widely used for the isolation of mononuclear cells from blood, bone marrow, and other biological samples. Formulated with polysucrose and sodium diatrizoate, Histopaque®-1077 has a density of 1.077 g/mL, allowing selective separation of lymphocytes, monocytes, and other low‑density cells from erythrocytes and granulocytes. Its reliability, reproducibility, and compatibility with standard centrifugation protocols make it a cornerstone reagent in density‑gradient centrifugation, PBMC isolation, immunology, and clinical research.
- Histopaque®-1077 functions by creating a stable density barrier during centrifugation. When diluted blood is layered over the medium and centrifuged, mononuclear cells migrate to the interface between plasma and Histopaque®-1077, while denser cells such as neutrophils and erythrocytes sediment to the bottom. This separation preserves cell viability and surface markers, making the isolated PBMCs suitable for downstream applications including flow cytometry, immunophenotyping, cytokine assays, and cell‑culture experiments. Because Histopaque®-1077 is iso‑osmotic and non‑toxic, it maintains physiological conditions that minimise cellular stress during isolation.
- Histopaque®-1077 is widely used in immunology, infectious‑disease research, cancer immunotherapy, and clinical diagnostics. In immunology, it enables isolation of lymphocytes and monocytes for T‑cell activation studies, macrophage differentiation, and antigen‑presentation assays. In virology, PBMCs isolated using Histopaque®-1077 are used for viral‑infection models, vaccine‑response studies, and interferon‑signalling assays. In haematology, Histopaque®-1077 supports isolation of mononuclear cells for leukemia research, stem‑cell studies, and bone‑marrow analysis. Its reproducibility makes it ideal for multi‑centre studies and regulated laboratory environments.
- Histopaque®-1077 is manufactured by Sigma‑Aldrich (Merck), the primary supplier of this density‑gradient medium. It is available in sterile, endotoxin‑tested formulations suitable for both research and clinical‑adjacent workflows. Alternatives include Ficoll‑Paque™ PLUS (Cytiva), which uses Ficoll instead of polysucrose but operates on the same density‑gradient principle. Many laboratories choose between Histopaque and Ficoll based on workflow preference, regulatory requirements, and cell‑type sensitivity. Both reagents provide high‑purity mononuclear‑cell isolation, though slight differences in viscosity and osmolarity may influence protocol optimisation.
- Effective use of Histopaque®-1077 requires careful attention to layering technique, centrifugation speed, and temperature. Blood should be diluted with physiological buffer before layering to reduce viscosity and improve separation. Centrifugation must be performed without brake to prevent disruption of the gradient. After centrifugation, the mononuclear‑cell layer is carefully aspirated from the interface and washed to remove residual gradient medium. Proper handling ensures high viability, minimal contamination with granulocytes, and consistent cell recovery suitable for sensitive downstream assays.
- Overall, Histopaque®-1077 remains a foundational reagent in mononuclear‑cell isolation workflows. Its ability to generate clean, reproducible density‑gradient separation supports high‑quality research across immunology, haematology, infectious‑disease biology, and clinical diagnostics. Whether used for PBMC isolation, immune‑cell profiling, or preparation of cells for culture, Histopaque®-1077 provides reliable, efficient, and physiologically gentle separation that enhances experimental consistency and scientific insight.
