Chemo choice

Theryte of Liverpool (WO 99/42835) describes a test to determine which
chemotherapy agent is best for treating a particular tumour: chemotherapy with
cis-platinum or taxanes such as taxol. Theryte’s trick is to fluorescently label
a tumour biopsy sample with antibodies against the telltale cyclin D1 protein.
If laser light highlights an abundance of D1, taxane treatment is recommended;
if D1 is absent, cis-platinum is prescribed. This, says Theryte, saves
money—and lives—by quickly finding the most appropriate treatment.