METHOD AND KIT FOR PREDICTING THE THERAPEUTIC RESPONSE OF A DRUG AGAINST A MALIGNANT TUMOUR

摘要

The present invention relates to a method of predicting the therapeutic response of a drug against a malignant tumour in a human patient, using a sample of a fine needle aspirate of the tumour from the patient. The method comprises the steps of identifying and estimating in the sample the number of cells belonging to one class of cells in relation to other cells in the sample, and comparing the estimation with a previously made analysis demonstrating correlation between the number of the cells and parameters of the therapeutic response of the drug directed towards the tumour in human patients, the results of the comparison being indicative of the therapeutic response of the drug in human patient. A diagnostic kit comprises a mixture of enzymes rendering the sample of the tumour a single cell suspension, a first mixture of monoclonal antibodies directed towards tumour associated antigens on tumour cells in the single cell suspension, said antibodies having a first label, and a second mixture of two types of monoclonal antibodies directed towards two specific antigens on lymphocytes, said antibodies having a second and a third label, respectively.