Key Findings
GradientScreen allows clinicians to measure how a patient’s leukemia cells respond to various three-drug regimens prior to the start of treatment. In a retrospective study using 17 leukemia cell and bone marrow samples from ALL patients, the platform’s results correlated with actual treatment outcomes, including the amount of residual disease after the first month of chemotherapy (induction treatment) and whether the patient experienced a relapse.
Technical Details
The technology utilizes microfluidic “lab-on-a-chip” assays to evaluate the full range of combination ratios within a three-drug regimen using a single blood or bone marrow sample. Unlike traditional methods that test drug pairs and dose ratios individually, GradientScreen evaluates these combinations in a single experiment to identify which ratios work best together. This process generates detailed “response patterns” by comparing the survival rate of cancer cells exposed to single drugs versus combinations.
Background and Context
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) accounts for 75% of childhood leukemia diagnoses. In the United States, 6,000 new cases are diagnosed annually, with more than 3,500 occurring in children. While genomic sequencing offers some personalization, patients with the same genetic mutation can respond differently to targeted therapy. Current strategies rely on leukemia subtype and risk classification, but most patients receive similar regimens without prior knowledge of how specific dosages will affect the individual.
Significance and Outlook
The goal of the technology is to identify patients likely to be unresponsive to standard treatment before therapy begins, allowing for the personalization of chemotherapy combined with biological or targeted agents. The research team plans to expand the platform to adult patients and other leukemia types, such as acute myeloid leukemia. Additionally, the system is being established within the Emory Lab for Innovative Assay Development (ELIAD) to support diagnostic testing for immediate patient care.
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