Detection of proteins from circulating neoplastic cells
AssigneeWellstat Biologics Corporation
InventorRobert M. Lorence
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The protein EGFR, ERCC1, RRM1, thymidylate synthase, or beta-tubulin from cancer cells is detected in a blood sample by enriching the cancer cells from the blood sample followed by performing on the enriched cancer cells an immunoassay capable of detecting the proteins mentioned above. Cancer patients overexpressing EGFR are treated with an anti-EGFR agent, for example cetuximab, panitumumab, erlotinib or gefitinib.
Claims12
A method of assaying a protein from cancer cells in a blood sample comprising enriching the cancer cells from the blood sample followed by lysing the enriched cells and performing on the lysed cancer cells an immunoassay capable of detecting the protein from the cancer cells;
- wherein
- the immunoassay uses electrochemiluminescence for detection
- the immunoassay has a sensitivity defined by being capable of quantifiably detecting the protein from thirty cancer cells per milliliter of blood or by being capable of detecting sixty-four picograms of the protein;
- and
- the protein is selected from the group consisting of epidermal growth factor receptor, excision repair cross-complementation group 1, ribonucleotide reductase subunit M1, thymidylate synthase, and beta-tubulin;
- and
- the immunoassay generates a signal proportional to the number of molecules of the protein present in the cancer cells in the blood sample.
A method of detecting the expression of a protein from cancer cells in a blood sample comprising isolating the cancer cells from the blood sample followed by making an extract from the isolated cancer cells followed by performing on the extract an immunoassay capable of detecting the protein, in which a positive immunoassay result indicates the presence of the protein in the cancer cells;
- wherein
- the immunoassay uses electrochemiluminescence for detection
- the protein is epidermal growth factor receptor;
- and
- the immunoassay has a sensitivity defined by being capable of detecting the protein from thirty cancer cells per milliliter of blood or by being capable of detecting sixty-four picograms of the protein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.