Rapid prognostic assay for malignancies treated with epidermal growth factor receptor
AssigneeThe Johns Hopkins University
InventorsPiotr Kulesza, Antonio Jimeno, Manuel Hidalgo, Douglas Clark, Erik Kincaid
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Abstract
A molecular assay for determining the sensitivity or resistance of malignancies to chemotherapy prior to initiation of chemotherapy and which also allows for monitoring the therapeutic effects of the chemotherapy during treatment. The molecular assay measures tumor response to therapy with EGFR modulators and utilizes tumor mRNA as a starting material and a quantitative measurement of c-fos expression as an analytical endpoint.
Claims19
A method for determining susceptibility of tumor cells in response to a chemotherapeutic agent prior to initiation of chemotherapy comprising the steps of:
- introducing an Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) ligand or combination of ligand to a first volume of tumor cells,
- introducing a Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) ligand or combination of ligand to a second and chemotherapeutic agent to second volume of tumor cells;
- quantifying a level of c-fos mRNA in the first and second volumes of tumor cells;
- and
- comparing the levels of c-fos mRNA to determine whether c-fos mRNA expression has been suppressed.
A molecular assay for measuring tumor response to therapy with EGFR modulator which utilizes tumor mRNA as a starting material comprising quantitative measurement of c-fos expression as an analytical endpoint.
A method for monitoring therapeutic effects of chemotherapeutic agents comprising:
- providing tumor mRNA;
- and
- measuring c-fos expression as an analytical endpoint.
A method for determining susceptibility of tumor cells in response to a chemotherapeutic agent prior to, during or after the initiation of chemotherapy comprising:
- incubating first, second, third and fourth volumes of tumor cells with media;
- introducing a chemotherapeutic agent to the third and fourth volumes of tumor cells in media;
- exposing Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) ligand or combination of ligand to the second and third volumes of tumor cells in media;
- quantifying a level of c-fos mRNA in the first, second, third and fourth volumes of tumor cells;
- adjusting the levels of c-fos mRNA for comparison by dividing the c-fos mRNA levels in the first, second, third and fourth volumes of tumor cells by the c-fos mRNA level in the first volume of tumor cells;
- and
- comparing the adjusted levels of c-fos mRNA for the second volume of tumor cells to the adjusted level of c-fos mRNA for the third equal volume of tumor cells to determine whether c-fos mRNA expression has been suppressed.
A method for determining susceptibility of tumor cells in response to a chemotherapeutic agent prior to initiation of chemotherapy comprising the steps of:
- incubating first, second, third and fourth equal volumes of tumor cells with media;
- introducing a chemotherapeutic agent to the third and fourth equal volumes of tumor cells in media;
- exposing Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) ligand to the second and third equal volumes of tumor cells in media;
- quantifying a level of c-fos mRNA in the first, second, third and fourth equal volumes of tumor cells;
- adjusting the levels of c-fos mRNA for comparison by dividing the c-fos mRNA levels in the first, second, third and fourth equal volumes of tumor cells by the c-fos mRNA level in the fourth equal volume of tumor cells;
- and
- comparing the adjusted levels of c-fos mRNA for the first equal volume of tumor cells to the adjusted level of c-fos mRNA for the third equal volume of tumor cells to determine whether c-fos mRNA expression has been suppressed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.