Description of Invention:
The present application describes a highly sensitive assay for distinguishing between cancer and non-cancer epithelial cells in the blood. It provides an improved diagnostic technique for detecting cancer and determining the organ-origin of the cancer. This assay can be used to prove the neoplastic nature of cells and predict when shed tumor cells have or will become metastatic. A major advantage of the present invention is that tumor cells can also be recovered as viable cells. Thus, the tumor cells can be kept alive in vitro for a sufficient period of time to determine the effect of particular anti-tumor pharmaceuticals on the cells. Furthermore, the assay provides an early detector of treatment success or failure and thereby allows a treatment regimen to be customized for an individual patient with advanced primary cancer.
Inventors:
Thomas Ried (NHGRI) Evelin Schrock (NHGRI) Bijan M. Ghadimi (NHGRI)
Patent Status:
DHHS Reference No. E-211-1998/0-US-01 -- U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/127,637 filed 01 Apr 1999
DHHS Reference No. E-211-1998/0-PCT-02 -- PCT Application No. PCT/US00/08588 filed 31 Mar 2000, which published as WO 00/60119 on 12 Oct 2000
DHHS Reference No. E-211-1998/0-US-03 -- U.S. Patent Application No. 09/937,864 filed 31 Dec 2000
Portfolios: Cancer
Cancer -Diagnostics-In Vitro-Other Cancer -Diagnostics
For Additional Information Please Contact: Robert M. Joynes J.D.
NIH Office of Technology Transfer
6011 Executive Blvd, Suite 325
Rockville, MD 20852-3804
Phone: (301)594-6565
Email: joynesr@mail.nih.gov
Fax: (301) 402-0220
