Methods and systems for predicting drug-response

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for determining whether a cell is resistant to one or more drugs. Also, disclosed herein are methods and systems for monitoring the treatment of a cancer patient to determine whether the cancerous cells being treated are resistant to the treatment. Further, disclosed herein are methods and systems for predicting the responsiveness of a cell to a drug. Also, disclosed herein are methods and systems to determine the rate of the efficacy of a chemotherapeutic drug on a cancerous, neoplastic or damaged cells

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A system for monitoring drug efficacy, the system comprising:
 a kit having at least one of i) a binding agent for AD6, and ii) a binding agent for PLX;   and information regarding standard values of the amount of AD6 and the amount of PLX expressed on the surface of neoplastic cells of various types that have a known history of drug response or information describing where to obtain standard values of the amount of AD6 and the amount of PLX expressed on the surface of neoplastic cells of various types that have a known history of drug response.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the AD6 binding agent comprises a  lectin  from  Sambucus nigra  (SNA). 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the PLX binding agent comprises a  lectin  from  Lycopersicon esculentum  (LEL). 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the AD6 binding agent and the PLX binding agent are present together in the same container. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the AD6 binding agent and the PLX binding agent are present in separate containers. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the information comprises a chart or diagram. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the kit comprises a binding agent for PLX, but the kit does not comprise a binding agent for AD6. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the kit comprises both a binding agent for PLX and a binding agent for AD6. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the PLX binding agent comprises a  lectin  from  Lycopersicon esculentum  (LEL). 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the information comprises a chart or diagram. 
     
     
         26 . A method of preparing a chart of standard values for drug response by a candidate neoplastic cell, the method comprising:
 analyzing an expression level of at least one of i) PLX or ii) AD6, of a statistically significant number of neoplastic specimens with a known history of drug response from the same cell type of the candidate neoplastic cell; and   generating threshold levels for drug responsiveness based on the PLX or AD6 expression levels, thereby obtaining standard values for drug response by the candidate neoplastic cell.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the specimens comprise both non-damaged and non-neoplastic cells. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the expression level of the PLX is analyzed, but the expression level of AD6 is not analyzed. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the expression levels of both the PLX and the AD6 are analyzed. 
     
     
         30 . A chart prepared by the process of  claim 26 .