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

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for monitoring drug efficacy, said system comprising:
 a kit having a binding agent for AD6 and 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.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the AD6 binding agent comprises a lectin from  Sambucus nigra  (SNA). 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the PLX binding agent comprises a lectin from  Lycopersicon esculentum  (LEL). 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the AD6 binding agent and the PLX binding agent are present together in the same container. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the AD6 binding agent and the PLX binding agent are present in separate containers. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information comprises a chart or diagram. 
     
     
         7 . A system for monitoring drug efficacy, said system comprising:
 a kit having a binding agent for PLX; and   information regarding standard values of 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 PLX expressed on the surface of neoplastic cells of various types that have a known history of drug response.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the PLX binding agent comprises a lectin from  Lycopersicon esculentum  (LEL). 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the information comprises a chart or diagram. 
     
     
         10 . A method of preparing a chart of standard values for drug response by a candidate neoplastic cell, said method comprising:
 analyzing the PLX expression level 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 expression levels, thereby obtaining standard values for drug response by the candidate neoplastic cell.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said specimens comprise both non-damaged and non-neoplastic cells. 
     
     
         12 . A chart prepared by the process of  claim 10 . 
     
     
         13 . A method of preparing a chart of standard values for drug response by a candidate neoplastic cell, said method comprising:
 analyzing the PLX expression level and AD6 expression level 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 and AD6 expression levels, thereby obtaining standard values for drug response by the candidate neoplastic cell.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said specimens comprise both non-damaged and non-neoplastic cells. 
     
     
         15 . A chart prepared by the process of  claim 13 .