Abstract: The invention relates to novel kinase peptides and antibodies, as well as nucleic acids related to them. The peptides, antibodies and the nucleic acids are useful for the detection, staging and monitoring of the progression of a kinase-mediated disease, as well as for determining or monitoring the efficacy of treatment.

Abstract: The present invention includes gene and protein expression profiles indicative of whether a cancer patient is likely to respond to treatment with irinotecan. By identifying such responsiveness, a treatment provider may determine in advance those patients who would benefit from such treatment, as well as identify alternative therapies for non-responders. The present invention further provide methods of using the gene and/or protein expression profiles and assays for identifying the presence of a gene and/or protein expression profile in a patient sample.

Abstract: The present invention provides protein and gene expression profiles indicative of whether a patient afflicted with non-small cell lung cancer is likely to be responsive to treatment with a therapeutic compound that is a EGFR-TK inhibitor. By identifying such responsiveness, a treatment provider may determine in advance those patients who would benefit from such treatment, as well as identify alternative therapies for non-responders. The present invention further provide methods of using the gene and protein expression profiles, and assays for identifying the presence of a gene or protein expression profile in a patient sample.

Abstract: The invention relates to novel kinase peptides and antibodies, as well as nucleic acids related to them. The peptides, antibodies and the nucleic acids are useful for the detection, staging and monitoring of the progression of a kinase-mediated disease, as well as for determining or monitoring the efficacy of treatment.

Abstract: A stylet for use with an automatic tissue microarrayer is provided for arraying frozen tissue samples on a substrate. In one embodiment, the stylet comprises a stylet needle having a pushing surface for pushing either frozen tissue or embedding media out of a coring needle, and a connecting end. In another embodiment the stylet comprises a stylet body which comprises a stylet base for sliding along the length of the needle and a stylet cap for coupling to the connecting end of the stylet needle. In a further embodiment of the invention, the stylet base and stylet cap are separated from each other by a resilient element, such as a spring. Molds for generating component parts of the stylet are also provided.

Abstract: A device particularly suited for constructing frozen tissue microarrays. The device comprises: a cooling chamber for receiving at least one frozen material and for maintaining the frozen material in a frozen condition; the cooling chamber moveable in an x and y direction relative to a horizontal surface; at least one coring needle comprising a cutting surface and a lumen for receiving a core of frozen material cut by the cutting surface; and at least one coring needle positioning element, for positioning the at least one coring needle over said frozen material for cutting said frozen material. Frozen tissue microarray blocks and methods of generating these are also provided.

Abstract: A device particularly suited for constructing frozen tissue microarrays. The device comprises: a cooling chamber for receiving at least one frozen material and for maintaining the frozen material in a frozen condition; the cooling chamber moveable in an x and y direction relative to a horizontal surface; at least one coring needle comprising a cutting surface and a lumen for receiving a core of frozen material cut by the cutting surface; and at least one coring needle positioning element, for positioning the at least one coring needle over said frozen material for cutting said frozen material. Frozen tissue microarray blocks and methods of generating these are also provided.

Abstract: The invention provides oncology tissue microarrays. In one aspect, the microarrays comprise a plurality of cell and/or tissue samples, each sample representing a different type of cancer. In another aspect of the invention, each sample represents a different stage of cancer. In still a further aspect of the invention, samples are ordered on the substrate of the microarray into groups according to common characteristics of the patients from whom the samples are obtained.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system for identifying and evaluating the responses of a patient to a neuropsychiatric disorder. Preferably, both physiological and behavioral responses are linked to molecular profiling data, i.e., data relating to the expression of a plurality of genes in tissues from the patient with these diseases. In one aspect, the invention provides a tissue information system comprising a specimen-linked database and an information management system for accessing, organizing, and displaying tissue information obtained from tissue microarrays comprising samples from patients with neuropsychiatric disorders.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system for identifying and evaluating the physiological responses of an organism to a condition, such as a disease or other pathological condition, a drug or agent, an environmental condition, and the like, by evaluating the expression of one or more GPCR pathway biomolecules in tissue microarrays from a plurality of patients. In one aspect, a tissue information system is provided comprising a specimen-linked database and an information management system for accessing, organizing, and displaying tissue information obtained from tissue microarrays. Preferably, the system is used to model and validate GPCR pathways affected during one or more physiological responses to a condition.

Abstract: The invention provides a profile array substrate comprising a first location for placing and retaining a test tissue sample, and a second location comprising a microarray. The microarray comprises a plurality of sublocations, each sublocation comprising a control tissue sample with known biological characteristics. Placement of the test tissue sample on the profile array substrate at the first location, permits a side-by-side comparison of the biological characteristics of a test tissue at the first location with the biological characteristics of tissues within the microarray.

Abstract: A user of a tissue microarray is provided with access to a specimen-linked database comprising patient and tissue information for the samples located on the microarray. In one embodiment, access to the database is obtained through a tissue information system comprising at least one device which is connectable to the network. The tissue information system enables the user to search and identify relationships between molecular profiling information obtained for the microarray and patient information, allowing the user to obtain diagnostic and prognostic information, to identify drug targets, and to validate drug leads which interact with these targets. The invention further provides a system for ordering customized tissue microarrays.

Abstract: A device particularly suited for constructing frozen tissue microarrays. The device comprises: a cooling chamber for receiving at least one frozen material and for maintaining the frozen material in a frozen condition; the cooling chamber moveable in an x and y direction relative to a horizontal surface; at least one coring needle comprising a cutting surface and a lumen for receiving a core of frozen material cut by the cutting surface; and at least one coring needle positioning element, for positioning the at least one coring needle over said frozen material for cutting said frozen material. Frozen tissue microarray blocks and methods of generating these are also provided.

Abstract: The invention provides microarrays comprising a plurality of frozen tissues and/or cell samples and methods of preparing and using the same. By using frozen samples, the microarrays provide optimal samples from which to detect the expression of both nucleic acids (e.g., mRNAs) and proteins in high throughput parallel analyses. The microarrays enable gene identification, molecular profiling, selection of promising drug targets, sorting and prioritizing of expressed sequence array data, and the identification of abnormal physiological processes associated with disease.

Abstract: A method of determining the severity of prostatic cancer includes measuring the level of amplification of the HER-2/neu gene in a sample of prostate tissue by fluorescence in-situ hybridization and comparing the measured level of amplification of the HER-2/neu gene in the sample with the level of HER-2/neu gene in normal prostate tissue. A method for determining treatment for a patient afflicted with prostate cancer includes determining whether the number of copies of HER-2/neu gene in prostate cells from the patient exceeds four by using fluorescence in-situ hybridization and aggressively treating such patient having prostate cells with five or more copies of the HER-2/neu gene.