Patent ID: 8158347

Claim:
A method for predicting a tendency to therapy-induced toxicity in a subject, the method comprising: (a) providing a subject under consideration for a therapy; (b) providing a sample from the subject, wherein the sample comprises a cell or tissue having a molecular age; (c) determining the molecular age of the cell or tissue by: (i) quantifying a level of expression of p16 INK4a , ARF, or both p16 INK4a and ARF in the sample; (ii) comparing the level of expression quantified with a standard, wherein the comparing comprises determining whether an increased level of expression of p16 INK4a , ARF, or both p16 INK4a and ARF is present or absent in the sample relative to the standard; and (iii) determining an increased molecular age if an increased level is present or a lack of an increased molecular age if an increased level is absent; and (d) predicting an increased tendency to therapy-induced toxicity in the subject if an increased molecular age is present or a decreased tendency to therapy-induced toxicity in the subject if an increased molecular age is absent.