Patent ID: 7595431
Filing Date: 2009-09-29
Classification: A01K,A61K

Abstract:
1. An assay for determining the effect of a gene on the progression of micrometastatic prostate cancer comprising: (a) generating a subcutaneous prostate cancer xenograft that simulates the progression of micrometastatic prostate cancer in a severe combined immune deficient (SCID) mouse by implanting locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer tissue or a cell suspension thereof from a human in the SCID mouse and allowing the tissue so implanted to grow; (b) transducing cells of the xenograft with the gene in vivo; (c) evaluating the presence of micrometastasis in the SCID mouse by detecting prostate cancer cells in the peripheral blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes or other sites distant from the site of the subcutaneous xenograft; wherein the effect of the gene on the progression of micrometastatic prostate cancer is determined by reference to a control SCID mouse bearing a subcutaneous human prostate xenograft generated by implanting locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer tissue or cell suspension thereof from the human in another SCID mouse and allowing the tissue so implanted to grow without being transduced by the gene.