Regarding the liposome decorated with TAB004 and an antibody for CA 19-9 on the exterior and ONC201 along with another synergistic drug on the interior, blood tests for antigen biomarkers could be run and evaluated. The CA 19-9 radioimmunoassay (RIA) measures the amount of CA 19-9 in the blood (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 2019). CA 19-9 can either be bound to the surface of pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells or secreted by them, so this test can serve as a marker for treatment success. Changes in the levels of CA 19-9 in the blood would allow the researchers to assess the progression of the tumor and see if it is growing, shrinking, or maintaining its size. The normal CA 19-9 range in a healthy individual is 0-37 units per millimeter. Rising levels would indicate progression of the cancer, consistent levels would indicate the cancer has stabilized, and declining CA 19-9 levels would indicate shrinkage (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 2019). The researchers would assess this biomarker biweekly. An analogous test for MUC-1 will also be developed and performed by the researchers in an effort to fully assay the targeted treatment. An increase of MUC-1 in the blood would indicate growth, consistent levels would indicate stability, and decreasing levels would imply shrinkage of the tumor. The researchers would also like to develop a method to assess binding affinities of pancreatic adenocarcinoma-specific antigens to the respective antibodies in order to determine the efficacy of the treatment.
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