Summary of Invention
This invention provides a highly sensitive method for the detection of cancer cells in bodily fluids. Current methods for such detection have a sensitivity of 20-50% and are very labor intensive, requiring a pathologist to visually find the one cancer cells among great numbers of healthy cells.
The method uses an attenuated oncolytic herpes virus containing a reporter gene, e.g. green fluorescent protein. The virus has the special characteristic of preferentially infecting cancer cells or preferentially replicating in cancer cells. The reporter is then expressed in cancer cells which can be easily detected under a microscope or cell sorter. The virus of the invention has been shown to infect many different human cancer cells (but not normal cells). Cancer cells can be detected in a great variety of body fluids like tears, sweat, urine, feces, sputum, uterine material, blood but also in cytological specimen, or a pleural or biopsy sample.
Advantages
- Sensitive detection of cancer cells can aid in early diagnosis of cancer.
- Detection can be automated and easily quantified, lowering costs and pathologist time.
Stage of Development
In vitro studies
Lead Inventor
Yuman Fong
Patent Information
Worldwide patent protection available
Contact Information
Julia Calonge, PhD
Tel: 212-639-6181, Fax: 212-717-3439
E-mail: calongej@mskcc.org
