Rapid Predictive Assay for Malignancies Treated with Polo-like Kinase-1 (PLK1) Inhibitors and Cell Cycle Modulators

Scientists at JHU have developed a pharmacodiagnostic assay for patients treated with targeted therapies directed at modulating the cell cycle, including but not limited to Polo-Like Kinase-1 (PLK1) inhibitors. The assay uses a fine needle aspirate (FNA) of a neoplastic lesion that is exposed ex vivo to a candidate drug therapy. Messenger RNA (mRNA) expression analysis can then determine the sensitivity of the lesion to treatment. As a result, the most effective course of treatment can be determined in a short period of time and the assay will avoid the situation of unnecessarily treating resistant patients with non-efficacious drugs. Description (Set) Proposed Use (Set) This invention allows for the specific measurement of pathway inhibition by a pharmaceutical agent (i.e. a PLK-1 blocker), a technology that so far has not been available. The assay is flexible in design and can be adapted to accommodate any cancer agents currently on the market or undergoing evaluation in clinical trials

Inventor(s): Jimeno, Antonio

Type of Offer: Licensing



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