Noninvasive detection of colorectal cancer and other gastrointestinal pathology
OwnerPadmanabhan P. Nairinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for isolating viable, biologically substantially pure exfoliated fecal colonocytes at normal ambient temperature is described. Immunocoprocytes and inflammatory cells indicative of certain gastrointestinal conditions and a noninvasive method for detecting colorectal cancer are set forth. Composition of transport and suspension media for isolation of colonocytes are detailed.
Claims25
Viable, biologically substantially pure exfoliated fecal colonocytes isolated at normal ambient temperature.
A transport medium for collecting a fecal sample, comprising:
- (a) a sufficient amount of an agent to sequester proteases present in fecal matter;
- (b) a sufficient amount of a mucolytic agent to destroy mucus present in fecal matter;
- and
- (c) a sufficient amount of a bacteriocidal agent to inhibit bacterial activity in fecal matter.
A method for isolating biologically substantially pure exfoliated fecal colonocytes at normal ambient temperature, comprising the steps of:
- (a) collecting a fecal sample in a transport medium maintained at normal ambient temperature;
- (b) dispersing the fecal sample in said transport medium diluted with a suspension medium;
- (c) sedimenting cells present in the diluted transport medium of step (b) to isolate the cells from impurities by layering the cell suspension over a medium of heavier density;
- (d) subjecting the cells in step (c) to an influence resulting in the formation of a cellular band at a boundary with said heavier medium;
- then
- (e) recovering biologically substantially pure colonocytes from said cellular band.
A method for detecting colorectal cancer, comprising the steps of:
- (a) obtaining biologically substantially pure colonocytes;
- then
- (b) reacting said colonocytes with a reagent to detect the presence of a marker determinative of cancer, occurrence of a positive reaction of said colonocytes with said reagent being indicative of the presence of cancer.
A method for determining mucosal immunity of GI tract, comprising the step of comparing the number of immunocoprocytes recovered from a subject whose GI tract mucosal immunity is to be determined, with the number of immunocoprocytes recovered from a normal subject, a statistically significant deviation from normal value being indicative of the level of immune dysfunction.
A method for diagnosing GI tract pathology, comprising the step of determining the presence of inflammatory cells in a stool sample of a subject suspected of GI tract pathology, the presence of inflammatory cells being indicative of GI tract pathology.
A method of producing antigen-specific monoclonal antibodies, comprising the step of employing antigen-specific immunocoprocytes as a clone in a standard hybridoma technique and recovering antigen-specific monoclonal antibodies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.