Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 27, 2026
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cancer Drug Sensitization In Vitro and In Vivo
Published on: February 6, 2015
ATP chemosensitivity testing in ovarian and breast cancer: early clinical trials
Christian M Kurbacher1, Ottilia M Grecu, Ursula Stier
1Division of Clinical and Experimental Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Cologne Medical Center, Kerpener Strasse 34, 50931 Köln, Germany. Christian.Kurbacher@medizin.uni-koeln.de
Abstract:
After disappointing results achieved with older chemosensitivity tests such as the human tumor clonogenic assay (HTCA) during the 1980s, the last decade has seen a renaissance of the concept of individualized chemotherapy in oncology, markedly stimulated by the development of newer nonclonogenic assays. These methods appear to be able to overcome major technical limitations associated with older assays, now allowing for successful testing of most of the tumor specimens submitted. Currently, the ATP-based tumor chemosensitivity assay (ATP-TCA) can be regarded as the most sophisticated assay to investigate both solid samples and effusions derived from patients with various organ tumors. During the last 5 years, the ATP-TCA has been used successfully to screen for novel drug combinations for further clinical use in both ovarian and breast cancer such as mitoxantrone plus paclitaxel (NT) and treosulfan plus gemcitabine (TG), respectively. Clinical trials that have been set up in heavily pretreated patients with recurrent ovarian or breast cancer have convincingly confirmed the high activity of these combinations previously demonstrated in preclinical investigations using the ATP-TCA. In a recent phase II trial performed in 59 patients with relapsed ovarian carcinoma, ATP-TCA-directed therapy was able to triple the response rate and to double the survival time, compared with published empirical chemotherapy regimes. Preliminary results with ATP-TCA-directed therapy in breast cancer also evidenced promising response rates. These results have been confirmed by additional prospective clinical trials using other types of modern nonclonogenic assays. A phase III trial that is now actively recruiting patients with platinum-refractory ovarian cancer to verify the promising phase II studies will prove the further value of the ATP-TCA as a predictor applicable in routine clinical oncology.
Insights
The ATP-based tumor chemosensitivity assay (ATP-TCA) offers a sophisticated approach to personalized chemotherapy. This method has shown significant improvements in treatment response and survival rates for ovarian and breast cancer patients.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Older chemosensitivity tests like the human tumor clonogenic assay (HTCA) showed disappointing results in the 1980s.
- Recent advancements in nonclonogenic assays have revitalized individualized chemotherapy strategies.
- The ATP-based tumor chemosensitivity assay (ATP-TCA) has emerged as a sophisticated tool for assessing tumor chemosensitivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of the ATP-based tumor chemosensitivity assay (ATP-TCA) in guiding chemotherapy decisions.
- To screen for novel drug combinations for ovarian and breast cancer treatment.
- To validate the clinical utility of ATP-TCA in predicting treatment outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the ATP-based tumor chemosensitivity assay (ATP-TCA) to test various tumor specimens, including solid samples and effusions.
- Screened novel drug combinations, such as mitoxantrone plus paclitaxel (NT) for ovarian cancer and treosulfan plus gemcitabine (TG) for breast cancer.
- Conducted clinical trials, including a phase II trial in relapsed ovarian carcinoma and preliminary studies in breast cancer, to assess ATP-TCA-directed therapy outcomes.
Main Results:
- The ATP-TCA successfully identified effective drug combinations like NT and TG.
- In a phase II trial for relapsed ovarian cancer, ATP-TCA-directed therapy tripled response rates and doubled survival time compared to empirical regimens.
- Preliminary results in breast cancer and ongoing phase III trials for ovarian cancer indicate promising response rates and further validate ATP-TCA's predictive value.
Conclusions:
- The ATP-based tumor chemosensitivity assay (ATP-TCA) represents a significant advancement in personalized oncology.
- ATP-TCA-guided therapy has demonstrated superior efficacy in clinical trials for ovarian and breast cancer.
- The ATP-TCA shows strong potential as a predictive tool for routine clinical application in cancer treatment.
