Leo L Cheng

US Patent:

20090030618, Jan 29, 2009

Filed:

Apr 11, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/911469

Inventors:

Leo L. Cheng - Andover MA, US
Bruce Jenkins - Belmont MA, US
Chen-Lee Wu - Newton MA, US
Guangping Dai - Action MA, US
Elkan F. Halpern - Newton MA, US

Assignee:

The General Hospital Corporation - Boston MA

International Classification:

G06F 19/00

US Classification:

702 19

Abstract:

A system, method and software arrangement according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided which can use molecular profiles obtained from unaltered human tissue specimens for clinical purposes including disease diagnoses and treatment evaluations. For example, spatial distributions of chemical species including metabolites within the tissue may be obtained using radiological techniques such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging. Disease-specific profiles may be obtained by comparing the distributions of chemical species obtained in ex vivo tissues with pathological observations made on them using statistical analysis. The disease-specific profiles may then be correlated with in vivo or ex vivo molecular profiles to obtain spatial maps that can provide a more sensitive and accurate detection of diseased tissue. Thus, such exemplary systems, methods and software arrangements can include the ability to receive information relating to the distribution of at least three chemical species in the tissue of interest, compare this information statistically to a predetermined profile and, based on the statistical correlation between the information and the profile, determine certain characteristics of the tissue of interest such as, e.g., the presence or absence of diseased tissue.

US Patent:

20090176218, Jul 9, 2009

Filed:

Oct 23, 2006

Appl. No.:

12/090005

Inventors:

Leo L. Cheng - Andover MA, US
Ute Pohl - London, GB
Chin-Lee Wu - Newton MA, US

Assignee:

THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION - Boston MA

International Classification:

C12Q 1/68

US Classification:

435 6

Abstract:

Disclosed are methods for prognostic evaluation, and diagnosis of cancers. The methods of the present invention allow for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancers by analyzing the levels of expression of an enzyme that is involved in the biosynthetic pathway of spermine within tissue samples containing cancerous tissues. In particular, the amount of enzyme mRNA detected in tissue sample correlates with disease status such that enzyme levels can be used to predict the presence of, as well as the metastatic potential of cancer. Thus, measuring the level of spermine pathway enzymes in biological samples provides a quick, easy, and safe screen that can be used to both diagnose and prognose cancer in a patient thus leading to more effective treatments and cures.