Characterization of mast cells from human umbilical cord blood

Mast cells are tissue-resident innate immune cells that express high affinity to receptor immunoglobulin E and responsible for host defense and array of diseases relate to immune system. We aim to characterize the function of human umbilical cord blood-dervied mast cells (hCBMCs). CD34+ cells were isolated from human umbilical cord blood and differentiated into mast cells using rhIL-6 and rh-SCF for 6-8 weeks. Total RNA was extracted from hCBMCs and CD34- cells and hybridized using Affymetrix Human Gene ST 1.0 arrays.