Cellular cis-co-culture systems and methods

Abstract

The invention relates to systems and methods for studying patient cancer samples in cis-co-culture with non-cancer cells from the same patient. For example, the invention provides systems and methods for testing therapeutic agents in vitro in an environment that simulates an in vivo environment to identify agents that are therapeutically effective for the patient.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for cellular analysis comprising:
 a. placing cancer cells isolated from a patient on a region of a solid support;   b. placing non-cancer cells isolated from the same patient in the same region of the solid support;   c. co-culturing the cancer and non-cancer cells on the solid support;   d. contacting the co-cultured cancer and non-cancer cells with an agent; and   e. measuring the effect of the agent on the cancer and/or non-cancer cells,   wherein the cancer cells are hematological cancer cells, wherein the cancer cells are placed on the solid support without cryopreservation following isolation, and wherein the non-cancer cells are placed on the solid support without expansion following isolation.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the patient has been diagnosed with adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia, childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, adult acute myeloid leukemia, childhood acute myeloid leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, hairy cell leukemia, AIDS-related lymphoma, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, adult Hodgkin lymphoma, childhood Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma during pregnancy, mycosis fungoides, adult non-Hodgkin lymphoma, childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma during pregnancy, primary central nervous system lymphoma, Sézary syndrome, cutaneous t-cell lymphoma, Waldenström macroglobulinemia, chronic myeloproliferative disorders, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, multiple myeloma/plasma cell neoplasm, myelodysplastic syndrome, or myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the patient has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the patient has been diagnosed with adult acute myeloid leukemia or childhood acute myeloid leukemia. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the hematological cancer cells are Hodgkin's lymphoma cells, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cells, acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells, chronic lymphoblastic leukemia cells, or multiple myeloma cells. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the hematological cancer cells are multiple myeloma cells. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the cancer cells and the non-cancer cells are collected at the same time. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the cancer cells and the non-cancer cells are isolated from the same bone marrow aspirate. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the cancer cells and the non-cancer cells are co-cultured in volume of less than 1 ml. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the cellular analysis comprises testing the cancer and/or non-cancer cells for sensitivity to the agent. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the cellular analysis comprises testing the cancer and/or non-cancer cells for resistance to the agent. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the agent is a small molecule, a proteinaceous molecule, a genetic molecule, or a blood product. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the agent is a chemotherapeutic agent or a candidate chemotherapeutic agent. 
     
     
         34 . A system for patient-specific cellular analysis comprising:
 a. a device;   b. cultured cancer cells from a patient on or in a region of the device; and   c. cultured non-cancer cells from the same patient on or in the same region of the device,   
       wherein the cancer cells and the non-cancer cells are co-cultured in volume of less than 1 ml. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the device is a solid support that is a chip, dish, bead, scaffold, or gel.