title: Use of the comet assay technique for quick and reliable prediction of in vitro response to chemotherapeutics in breast and colon cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Determination of response to chemotherapy is a major requirement of personalized medicine. Resistance, whether developed or native, critically affects a treatment's success. Single Cell Gel lectrophoresis - also known as a comet assay - is used to detect DNA damage at the level of individual eukaryotic cells. We assessed the use of comet assays in determining response to chemotherapeutic drugs that are widely used in breast and colon cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We treated human breast and colon cancer cell lines with melphalan, cisplatin, mechlorethamine or doxorubicin, as monotherapies. Drug activities varied even in the same cancer types, further demonstrating the heterogeneity of different cancer types.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The comet assay technique can provide reliable and quick results with minimum requirements and is applicable to a wide variety of drugs.
authors.affiliation: Research Genetic Cancer Centre Ltd (R.G.C.C. Ltd), Filotas, Florina Greece.
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Apostolou
authors.affiliation: Research Genetic Cancer Centre Ltd (R.G.C.C. Ltd), Filotas, Florina Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toloudi
authors.affiliation: Research Genetic Cancer Centre Ltd (R.G.C.C. Ltd), Filotas, Florina Greece.
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kourtidou
authors.affiliation: Research Genetic Cancer Centre Ltd (R.G.C.C. Ltd), Filotas, Florina Greece.
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mimikakou
authors.affiliation: Research Genetic Cancer Centre Ltd (R.G.C.C. Ltd), Filotas, Florina Greece.
authors.forename: Ioanna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vlachou
authors.affiliation: Research Genetic Cancer Centre Ltd (R.G.C.C. Ltd), Filotas, Florina Greece.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chatziioannou
authors.affiliation: Research Genetic Cancer Centre Ltd (R.G.C.C. Ltd), Filotas, Florina Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Papasotiriou
keywords: Breast cancer; Cisplatin; Colon cancer; Comet assay; Doxorubicin; Mechlorethamine; Melphalan; Personalized medicine