With positive selection, the cells expressing the antigen(s) of interest, which attached to the magnetic column, are washed out to a separate vessel, after removing the column from the magnetic field. This method is useful for isolation of a particular cell type, for instance CD4 lymphocytes.
Moreover, it enables early detection of sperm which initiate apoptosis, although they may show an adequate appearance and motility. A magnetic-labelled receptor that binds to annexin is added to sperm. Inside normal cells, phosphatidylserine molecules are located within the cell membrane towards the cytoplasm. Nevertheless, in those cells that initiate the apoptotic process phosphatidylserine instead faces the cell membrane outer side, binding to the annexin conjugate. Therefore, normal spermatozoa will pass through the column without binding to the labelled receptor.
On the other hand, proapoptotic sperm will remain trapped, which turns out as a sperm selection process thanks to the magnetic- labeled antibody. Finally, this technique has shown its efficacy, even though it remains limited.
With negative selection, the antibody used is against surface antigen(s) which are known to be present on cells that are not of interest. After administration of the cells/magnetic nanoparticles solution onto the column the cells expressing these antigens bind to the column and the fraction that goes through is collected, as it contains almost no cells with these undesired antigens.