Methods and reagents for the rapid and efficient isolation of circulating cancer cells
AssigneesImmunivest Corporation, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
InventorsLeon W. M. M. Terstappen, Galla Chandra Rao, Jonathan W. Uhr, Emilian V. Racila, Paul A. Liberti
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Abstract
A highly sensitive assay is disclosed which combines immunomagnetic enrichment with multiparameter flow cytometric and immunocytochemical analysis to detect, enumerate and characterize carcinoma cells in the blood. The assay can detect one epithelial cell or less in 1 ml of blood and has a greater sensitivity than conventional PCR or immunohistochemistry by 1-2 orders of magnitude. In addition, the assay facilitates the biological characterization and staging of carcinoma cells.
Claims15
A method of diagnosing early stage cancer in a test subject, comprising:
- a) obtaining from the blood of a test subject suspected of having early stage cancer, a test specimen comprising a mixed cell population suspected of containing cancer cells of epithelial origin;
- b) mixing said test specimen with colloidal magnetic particles coupled to a ligand which binds specifically to said cancer cells, to the substantial exclusion of other test specimen components;
- c) subjecting the specimen-magnetic particle mixture to a high gradient magnetic field to produce a separated cell fraction enriched in magnetic particle-bound cancer cells, if said cancer cells are present in said test specimen;
- and
- d) analyzing said enriched fraction for the presence of said cancer cells, the presence of said cancer cells in said specimen indicating the presence of early stage cancer in said test subject.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.