Panel & Software to Predict Therapeutic Resistance in Cancer Treatment

Invention Summary:

According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the second most common malignancy in men and the second-highest cancer-related cause of death in American men. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), which reduces or prevents male hormones (androgens) from interacting with cancer cells, has been shown to be beneficial in treating prostate cancer in about half of all cases. However, for the remaining cases, ADT counterintuitively results in a more aggressive cancer. Therefore, knowing how a patient will respond to ADT before the start of therapy can ensure a patient receives the best therapy for their cancer and prevent unnecessary suffering and loss.

Rutgers Researcher Dr. Antonina Mitrofanova has identified a five site-gene panel which can be used to predict a patient’s resistivity to ADT. This panel, in combination with software that identifies epigenomic (DNA methylation) and genomic (mRNA expression) markers, can be utilized to predict therapeutic responses and resistance in cancer patients. Named Epi2GenR – Epigenomic and Genomic Mechanisms of Teatment Resistance, the software has found success in differentiating between patients who have a beneficial predisposition to ADT and those for which ADT will fail.

The overall goal of Dr. Mitrofanova’s work is to improve the therapeutic management of cancer patients and build a foundation for personalized therapeutics for patients with advanced malignancies. This approach, in the long term, can be employed to improve clinical decision-making, patient survival, and cancer management. Dr. Mitrofanova is currently in the process of expanding her software beyond ADT so that it can be used for other cancers and treatment types.

Applications

A predictive tool which can be utilized as a panel for screening prostate cancer patients to determine whether they can benefit from ADT or from other types of therapy.

Advantages