Predictive test of therapeutic response of breast cancer

Abstract

Method for ex vivo testing of the effects of (candidate) pharmaceuticals for treatment of breast cancer. Method for ex vivo testing of the effects of (candidate) pharmaceuticals for treatment of breast cancer comprises: (A) culturing cancer cells from a breast sample in a basal medium that contains the following growth factors/ingredients: hydrocortisone (HC) 0.3-0.5 mg/l; triiodothyronine (T3) 0.0004-0.0008 mg/l; insulin 5-15 mg/l; transferrin 4-10 mg/l; recombinant human epidermal growth factor (EGF) 0.05-0.15 mg/l and 17beta -estradiol (E) 0.2-0.3 mg/l, until a culture of cancer cells, essentially free of stromal cells, is produced; (B) contacting the culture with one or more (candidate) pharmaceuticals and (C) identifying, and selecting, one or more of the test compounds that show antiproliferative activity. Independent claims are included for the following: (1) culture medium (CM) that contains growth factors/ingredients specified above; (2) cell culture containing CM and breast cancer cells; and (3) kit for performing the new method comprising CM, transport medium and dissociation medium. - ACTIVITY : Cytostatic. - MECHANISM OF ACTION : None given