Patent ID: 6905884

Claim:
A method for predicting the response of cancer cells to treatment targeting actively dividing cells which comprises: contacting a cobalamin with cancer cells, said cobalamin having the general formula where R 1 is CN, OH, OH 2 , CH 3 , 5′-(5′-deoxyadenosyl) or (CH 2 ) p NHC(═S)Y; R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , and R 7 are CONH 2 ; R 8 is CH 2 OH or CH 2 O(C═O)X m Y; R 9 is OH or O(C═O)X m Y; X is a linker having the formula NH(CH 2 ) n NHO(C═O) or NH—(CH 2 ) n —NH; Y is a fluorophore, a phosphorophore, or a chemiluminescent chromophore; m is 0 or 1, n is 0-50 and p is 2-10, with the proviso that at least one of R 1 , R 8 and R 9 groups has Y, wherein said cobalamin fluoresces, phosphoresces or luminesces when illuminated with ultraviolet, visible, or infrared light without cleavage of Y from the cobalamin, illuminating said cancer cells and detecting fluorescence, phosphorescence or luminescence of said cancer cells, wherein a greater fluorescence, phosphorescence or luminescence of said cancer cells compared to non-cancerous cells is indicative that the cancer cells will resvond favorably to said treatment.