METHOD AND KIT FOR THE EX VIVO EVALUATION OF THE RESPONSE OF A TUMOR TO CONDITIONS TO BE TESTED

摘要

The invention concerns a method and kit for the ex vivo evaluation of the response of a tumor to conditions to be tested, in particular a tumor treatment regime, in an isolated tumor sample. The diagnostic method is suitable for the use in medicine and in pharmacy, in particular for the pretherapeutical evaluation of the responsiveness of a tumor to a tumor treatment regime and the preclinical evaluation of a tumor treatment regime. The method comprises: a.) Placing a freshly isolated tumor sample in a container, which contains antibiotics and preferably antimycotics keeping the sample at a temperature above 10 °C, b.) Breaking up, preferably mechanically disintegrating, the tumor sample, c.) Placing the pieces of the tumor sample into cell culture medium and incubating with collagenase shortly upon isolation of the tumor, d.) Plating the cells and tissue pieces into wells that are coated with extra cellular matrix components, incubating under the conditions of the tumor treatment regime or in presence of a substance to be tested, e.) Determining the number of cells and/or the number of colonies and/or the sum response of cells of epithelial origin, preferably by performing a cytokeratin staining, f.) Using a cell culture medium in the steps c.) to e.) that contains less than 100 nmol/1 flavin and that does not contain phenol red, g.) Performing the steps c.) to e.) in the absence of light of a wavelength below 520 nm.