Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
205 words
A method for determining/prognosticating the effectiveness of a therapeutic agent in the treatment of a cancer by measuring the ability of the therapeutic agent to induce terminal cell differentiation wherein malignant cells of the cancer overexpress an oncogene product, the method comprises the steps of: (a) obtaining from a human having such a cancer a biopsy comprising viable malignant cells which overexpress at least one oncogene product and dividing the same into first and second portions; (b) treating the first portion comprising viable cells with a sufficient quantity of a composition comprising at least one compound having specific binding affinity for the oncogene product and contacting the second portion with a composition which is devoid of the at least one compound having specific binding affinity for the oncogene product; (c) maintaining the first and second portions in a physiologically acceptable medium for an amount of time sufficient to induce maturation in the viable malignant cells of said first portion: and (d) comparing the percentage of cells in the first portion which exhibit markers of terminal cell differentiation to the percentage of cells in the second portion which exhibit markers of terminal cell differentiation wherein effectiveness of treatment correlates with the degree of terminal cell differentiation.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
205 words
A method for determining/prognosticating the effectiveness of a therapeutic agent in the treatment of a cancer by measuring the ability of the therapeutic agent to induce terminal cell differentiation wherein malignant cells of the cancer overexpress an oncogene product, the method comprises the steps of: (a) obtaining from a human having such a cancer a biopsy comprising viable malignant cells which overexpress at least one oncogene product and dividing the same into first and second portions; (b) treating the first portion comprising viable cells with a sufficient quantity of a composition comprising at least one compound having specific binding affinity for the oncogene product and contacting the second portion with a composition which is devoid of the at least one compound having specific binding affinity for the oncogene product; (c) maintaining the first and second portions in a physiologically acceptable medium for an amount of time sufficient to induce maturation in the viable malignant cells of said first portion: and (d) comparing the percentage of cells in the first portion which exhibit markers of terminal cell differentiation to the percentage of cells in the second portion which exhibit markers of terminal cell differentiation wherein effectiveness of treatment correlates with the degree of terminal cell differentiation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the biopsy comprises viable malignant cells which overexpress on their surface membrane at least one oncogene product.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 2 wherein the oncogene product is a receptor and the compound having specific binding affinity is specific for a segment extracellular domain of the receptor which affects the receptor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method according to claim 3 wherein the receptor is HER-2/neu protein.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 4 wherein terminal cell differentiation is determined by translocation of HER-2/neu from the cell surface membrane to the cytoplasm or perinuclear region of the cell.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 5 wherein translocation of HER-2/neu is determined immunohistochemically with an antibody which is specific for the HER-2/neu protein.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 4 wherein said cancer is breast cancer and terminal cell differentiation is determined by production of a human milk components.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method according to claim 7 wherein the milk component is casein.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method according to claim 7 wherein the milk component is lipid droplets.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
199 words
A method for determining/prognosticating the effectiveness of a therapeutic agent in the treatment of a cancer by measuring the ability of the therapeutic agent to induce terminal cell differentiation wherein malignant cells of the cancer overexpress an oncogene product, the method comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining from a human having such a cancer a biopsy comprising viable malignant cells which overexpress at least one oncogene product and dividing the same into first and second portions; (b) treating the first portion comprising viable cells with a sufficient quantity of a composition comprising at least one compound having specific binding affinity for the oncogene product and contacting the second portion with a composition which is devoid of the at least one compound having specific binding affinity for the oncogene product; (b) maintaining the first and second portions in a physiologically acceptable medium for an amount of time sufficient to induce maturation in the viable malignant cells of said first portion: and (d) comparing a quantification of the average cellular amount of said oncogene product across the cells in the first portion to a quantification of the average cellular amount of said oncogene product across the cells in the second portion.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
199 words
A method for determining/prognosticating the effectiveness of a therapeutic agent in the treatment of a cancer by measuring the ability of the therapeutic agent to induce terminal cell differentiation wherein malignant cells of the cancer overexpress an oncogene product, the method comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining from a human having such a cancer a biopsy comprising viable malignant cells which overexpress at least one oncogene product and dividing the same into first and second portions; (b) treating the first portion comprising viable cells with a sufficient quantity of a composition comprising at least one compound having specific binding affinity for the oncogene product and contacting the second portion with a composition which is devoid of the at least one compound having specific binding affinity for the oncogene product; (b) maintaining the first and second portions in a physiologically acceptable medium for an amount of time sufficient to induce maturation in the viable malignant cells of said first portion: and (d) comparing a quantification of the average cellular amount of said oncogene product across the cells in the first portion to a quantification of the average cellular amount of said oncogene product across the cells in the second portion.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 10 wherein the biopsy comprises viable malignant cells which overexpress on their surface membrane at least one oncogene product.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 11 wherein the oncogene product is a receptor and the compound having specific binding affinity is specific for a segment extracellular domain of the receptor which affects the receptor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method according to claim 12 wherein the receptor is HER-2/neu protein.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to claim 13 wherein quantification of HER-2/neu is determined by measurement of optical density in cells stained immunohistochemically with an antibody which is specific for the HER-2/neu protein.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein only membrane-bound HER-2/neu is quantified.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein only cytoplasmic HER-2/neu is quantified.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein the total amount of HER-2/neu in a cell is quantified.