| abstract |
A highly sensitive assay is disclosed that utilizes a method for gene specific origin amplification of mRNA libraries from rare cells and rare transcripts found in blood. The assay allows for the detection of rare mRNA (10 copies / cell) found in 1-10 cells isolated via immunomagnetic enrichment. The assay is an improvement over multiplex PCR and allows sufficient detection of rare coding sequences for circulating carcinoma cells in the blood. The method is useful in profiling cells isolated from tissues or fluids and serves as an adjunct to a variety of clinical diagnoses of carcinoma including early stage detection and classification of circulating tumor cells. Monitoring cellular nucleic acid and protein profiles in either conventional or microarray formats facilitates confirmation of therapeutic intervention, including staging, monitoring response to therapy, confirmation of remission, and detection of regression. |