RARE CANCER CELL DETECTION METHOD

荧光原位杂交(FISH)分析越来越多地被用于识别与特定癌症相关的染色体易位、重复、缺失和其他染色体异常。然而，目前的检测模式依赖于人工和劳动密集型的显微镜检查，使得稀有细胞检测不切实际。为了白血病的早期诊断和检测治疗复发，需要灵敏、高通量的检测方法，在存在至少1000个非癌细胞的情况下可以检测到一个癌细胞。通过结合凝胶微滴单细胞封装(GMD)技术、荧光原位杂交(FISH)和流式细胞术，我们建立了一种检测端粒酶mRNA(TmRNA)的方法，因为肿瘤的发生依赖于端粒酶的激活，因此它是一种潜在的有价值的早期癌症检测标记物。使用临床样本，第一阶段研究将识别人类血液中的癌细胞，以早期诊断慢性白血病。拟议的商业应用：该分析将使癌症的早期和准确诊断成为可能，促进早期治疗并降低死亡率。该分析还将允许监测临床治疗的有效性，促进新疗法和癌症治疗的开发。

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays are increasingly used to identify chromosomal translocations, duplications, deletions, and other chromosomal abnormalities associated with specific cancers. However, current assay formats rely on manual and labor intensive microscopic examination making rare cell detection impractical. For early diagnosis of leukemias and for detecting therapeutic relapse, sensitive, high throughput assays which can detect one cancer cell in the presence of at least 1,000 non-cancerous cells are needed. By combining gel microdrop single cell encapsulation (GMD) technology, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and flow cytometry, we have developed an assay to detect telomerase mRNA (tmRNA), which is a potentially valuable marker for early cancer detection because carcinogenesis is dependent on telomerase activation. Using clinical samples, Phase I research will identify cancer cells in human blood for early diagnosis of chronic leukemias. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: The assay will permit early and accurate diagnosis of cancer, facilitating early treatment and reducing mortality rates. The assay will also permit monitoring of the effectiveness of the clinical treatment, facilitating development of new therapeutics and cancer treatments.