La Protein Biomarker Screening for Neoplastic Cell Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cancer treatment methods are inefficient in rapidly assessing tumor cell kill after initial chemotherapy cycles, leading to unnecessary side effects for non-responding patients, and there is a need for a diagnostic method to differentiate between neoplastic cell death induced by DNA damage and other means.
Innovation Solution
The method involves screening for changes in La protein and/or gene expression levels in biological samples to detect neoplastic cells and assess DNA damage-induced cell death, using immunointeractive molecules like antibodies coupled with imaging agents to correlate viable and dead cell La expression levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional chemotherapy treatment protocols are used, then cancer cells are killed through apoptosis, but rapid assessment of tumor cell kill after initial treatment cycles is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by detecting La protein expression changes before conventional assessment methods can evaluate treatment response. The method enables early detection of DNA damage-induced cell death through La protein upregulation, allowing clinicians to assess treatment effectiveness after just one chemotherapy cycle rather than waiting for standard three-cycle protocols. This preliminary detection capability accelerates the assessment timeline while maintaining diagnostic accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents are used to kill cancer cells, then tumor cell death increases, but differentiation between DNA damage-induced cell death and other forms of cell death is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by focusing on a specific molecular marker (La protein) that exhibits distinct expression patterns for different cell death mechanisms. Rather than attempting to differentiate all forms of cell death through complex multi-parameter analysis, the method selectively monitors La protein upregulation, which is specifically induced by DNA damage. This localized approach to detection simplifies the diagnostic process while achieving precise differentiation of DNA damage-induced apoptosis from other cell death forms.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If patients continue treatment without early response assessment, then more cancer cells may be killed, but non-responding patients experience unnecessary side effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by using La protein expression levels as an early biomarker to guide treatment decisions. The method provides rapid feedback on treatment effectiveness through detection of La upregulation, enabling clinicians to identify non-responding patients after just one chemotherapy cycle. This early feedback mechanism allows for timely modification of treatment protocols, preventing continued administration of ineffective chemotherapy and its associated side effects while maintaining reliable prediction of treatment response through standardized La protein measurement.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides a sensitive and accurate means to monitor neoplastic conditions, assess treatment effectiveness, and predict treatment response, distinguishing between DNA damage-induced cell death and other forms of cell death, thereby optimizing treatment regimes and sparing patients from ineffective treatments.
Implementation Method 1
screening for the level of La protein and/or gene expression in cells in a biological sample
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2A~2D
Figure 3A~3D
AI summary
The present invention relates generally to a method of screening for a neoplastic cell in a subject. More particularly, the present invention provides a method of screening for both viable neoplastic cells and, still further, cytotoxin induced neoplastic cell death by detecting the level of expression of La protein and/or gene by a cellular population in said subject or in a biological sample derived from said subject. The method of the present invention is useful in a range of applications including, but not limited to, diagnosing, prognosing or assessing a neoplastic condition, monitoring the progression of such a condition, assessing the effectiveness of a therapeutic agent or therapeutic regime and predicting the likelihood of a subject either progressing to a more advanced disease state or entering a remissive state. The present invention also provides diagnostic agents useful for detecting La protein and/or nucleic acid molecules.