39 results about "Alternative therapy" patented technology

The present invention provides a protocol and apparatus for enriching circulating tumor cells and other rare cells from blood, including debris and other components, from samples with high precision and at high throughput rates. This invention discloses an improved processing system from previously described semi-automated sample processing. The system further reduces operator intervention and hands-on time from prior systems. While this system has general utility in processing diverse materials, the system is configured for sample processing of biological specimens to provide an enriched fraction suitable for detection, enumeration and identification of target cells by appropriate analytical methodologies. The presence and quantities of such target cells in a sample specimen can utilized for screening and detection in disease such as cancer, assessing early stage pre-metastatic cancer, monitoring for disease remission in response to therapy and selection of more effective dose regimens or alternative therapies in case of relapse.

The invention relates to diagnostic methods for assessing the need of a subject for treatment with an anti-oxidant, or alternatively, for determining the utilization efficiency and ultimate effectiveness of anti-oxidant therapy in subjects having been treated with antioxidants. More specifically, the methods of the present invention are particularly useful in prophylactic assessment of individuals at risk for developing diseases or conditions in which oxidative stress plays a role, such that an appropriate therapeutic regimen can be prescribed for that individual, thus leading to alternative therapies and/or life style changes. The invention further relates to methods for assessing the need for, the utilization efficiency and the effectiveness of therapy in subjects having received therapy with specific antioxidant and immune enhancing formulations. Kits are also provided for measuring the levels of markers of oxidative stress and immune cell numbers.

A method to treat cancer uses ultrapheresis, refined to remove compounds of less than 120,000 daltons molecular weight, followed by administration of replacement fluid, to stimulate the patient's immune system to attack solid tumors. In the preferred embodiment, the patient is ultrapheresed using a capillary tube ultrafilter having a pore size of 0.02 to 0.05 microns, with a molecular weight cutoff of 120,000 daltons, sufficient to filter one blood volume. The preferred replacement fluid is ultrapheresed normal plasma. The patient is preferably treated daily for three weeks, diagnostic tests conducted to verify that there has been shrinkage of the tumors, then the treatment regime is repeated. The treatment is preferably combined with an alternative therapy, for example, treatment with an anti-angiogenic compound, one or more cytokines such as TNF, gamma interferon, or IL-2, or a procoagulant compound. The treatment increases endogenous, local levels of cytokines, such as TNF. This provides a basis for an improved effect when combined with any treatment that enhances cytokine activity against the tumors, for example, treatments using alkylating agents, doxyrubicin, carboplatinum, cisplatinum, and taxol. Alternatively, the ultrapheresis treatment can be combined with local chemotherapy, systemic chemotherapy, and/or radiation.

Herein disclosed are methods that are predictive of resistance to endocrine therapy in an estrogen receptor-positive (ER-positive) breast cancer patient. An exemplary method comprises detecting the overexpression of MN/CA9 gene expression product(s) in a sample from an affected subject, wherein if MN/CA9 is overexpressed, then the subject is considered to have a greater probability of resistance to endocrine therapy, particularly tamoxifen, and a corresponding poorer prognosis if undergoing endocrine therapy, than if MN/CA9 is not overexpressed. MN/CA9 gene expression products useful in the predictive/prognostic methods include MN/CA IX, MN proteins/polypeptides, MN nucleic acids and soluble MN/CA IX antigen (s-CA IX). The methods are useful as an aid in the selection of treatment for a patient with an ER-positive breast tumor. The methods of the invention can be used, for example, to identify those patients requiring additional/alternative therapies, preferably, but not necessarily, therapies that are not affected by acidic pH. The methods also comprise the use of diagnostic/prognostic imaging to detect MN/CA IX in a patient tumor, wherein the presence of MN/CA IX in one or more tumors is indicative of probable resistance to antiestrogen therapy, particularly to tamoxifen.

A patient's risk for increased intraocular pressure after being treated with a steroid for an ocular disease, such as macular edema or age related macular degeneration, is assessed. The patient receives an intraocular challenge dose of triamcinolone, and the patient's intraocular pressure before and after the challenge dose is compared. If the intraocular pressure after the challenge is increased by at least 5 mm Hg, the patient is at risk for glaucoma if a therapeutic dose of a steroid is administered to treat the disease. This allows the physician to better manage the risk and/or provide an alternative therapy. The challenge composition may also contain an anti-angiogenic agent that will beneficially reduce the risk of new blood vessel growth in the eye.

The present disclosure provides methods of treating a patient with infliximab or alternative therapies to reduce the risk of developing, and/or severity of, an adverse drug reaction such as drug-induced liver injury. The methods include identifying patients at risk for developing DILI by determining the presence or absence of one or more HLA alleles in the patients.

The present invention identifies various methods for the identification of patients that suffer from an immune system disorder and are likely to benefit from anti-TNF therapy. Because of the significant cost of anti-TNF therapy and the high rate of ineffectiveness of anti-TNF therapy for treating immune disorders such as rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, the present invention will improve the delivery of effective therapies to patients in need of either anti-TNF therapy or alternative therapies.

The present disclosure provides methods of treating a patient with infliximab or alternative therapies to reduce the risk of developing, and/or severity of, an adverse drug reaction such as drug-induced liver injury. The methods include identifying patients at risk for developing DILI by determining the presence or absence of one or more HLA alleles in the patients.

Antibodies, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, which bind to a CCR7 receptor are capable of selectively killing, impairing migration and/or blocking dissemination of tumour cells expressing a CCR7 receptor. Use of said antibodies for killing or for inducing apoptosis of said tumour is disclosed, thus providing an alternative therapy for treatment of cancer which tumour cells express a CCR7 receptor.

The present disclosure provides methods of treating a patient with infliximab or alternative therapies to reduce the risk of developing, and/or severity of, an adverse drug reaction such as drug-induced liver injury. The methods include identifying patients at risk for developing DILI by determining the presence or absence of one or more HLA alleles in the patients.

A method to treat cancer uses ultrapheresis, refined to remove compounds of less than 120,000 daltons molecular weight, followed by administration of replacement fluid, to stimulate the patient's immune system to attack solid tumors. In the preferred embodiment, the patient is ultrapheresed using a capillary tube ultrafilter having a pore size of 0.02 to 0.05 microns, with a molecular weight cutoff of 120,000 daltons, sufficient to filter one blood volume. The preferred replacement fluid is ultrapheresed normal plasma. The patient is preferably treated daily for three weeks, diagnostic tests conducted to verify that there has been shrinkage of the tumors, then the treatment regime is repeated. The treatment is preferably combined with an alternative therapy, for example, treatment with an anti-angiogenic compound, one or more cytokines such as TNF, gamma interferon, or IL-2, or a procoagulant compound. The treatment increases endogenous, local levels of cytokines, such as TNF. This provides a basis for an improved effect when combined with any treatment that enhances cytokine activity against the tumors, for example, treatments using alkylating agents, doxyrubicin, carboplatinum, cisplatinum, and taxol. Alternatively, the ultrapheresis treatment can be combined with local chemotherapy, systemic chemotherapy, and/or radiation.

The present invention provides a system for imaging circulating tumor cells from blood after enrichment. The system is designed to provide optimum use in a clinical laboratory setting with minimum laboratory bench top space. Operator intervention is minimized compared to other analytical methodologies. The system is useful in the enumeration and identification of target cells in a sample specimen for screening and detection of early stage pre-metastatic cancer, monitoring for disease remission in response to therapy and selection of more effective dose regimens or alternative therapies for individual patients.

The present disclosure provides methods of treating a patient with infliximab or alternative therapies to reduce the risk of developing, and/or severity of, an adverse drug reaction such as drug-induced liver injury. The methods include identifying patients at risk for developing DILI by determining the presence or absence of one or more HLA alleles in the patients.

The present invention provides a novel use and methods comprising antibodies, or antigen-binding fragments thereof, which bind to a CCR7 receptor for use as a novel therapeutic agent in prevention and/or treatment of graft versus host disease (GVHD), preferably in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), more preferably allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. GVHD of the invention can be acute (aGVHD) and/or chronic (cGVHD), preferably acute. The antibodies and antigen-binding fragments are capable of selectively depleting ex vivo or in vitro immune cells expressing CCR7 and are capable in vivo of selectively killing immune cells expressing a CCR7 receptor and of impairing/blocking migration and of activation of said immune cells, which are involved in the development and evolution of GVHD. The use of said antibodies for depleting, killing and impairing/blocking migration and activation of immune cells expressing CCR7 cells is disclosed, thus providing an alternative therapy for preventing and treating GVHD in both acute and chronic types.