Micro-Culture Kinetic (MiCK) assay, developed by DiaTech Oncology, is a clinical pathology test that measures apoptosis induced in specific patient's cancer cells via chemotherapy. The assay is performed by DiaTech Oncology in its CLAI-certified, CAP-accredited laboratory. The MiCK assay provides oncologists with a clinically relevant drug-sensitivity profile of tumor cells of an individual cancer patient.
The MiCK assay reveals which chemotherapeutic agent(s) will kill a specific patient's cancer cells. It is a non-invasive test performed on a small portion of fresh live tumor from tissue, fluids, blood or a sample of bone marrow during the original surgery, indicating that no additional invasive procedure is required.
To perform the MiCK assay, the oncologist will send a sample of the specimen (the type of the specimen depends on the type of the cancer) to DiaTech Oncology which will isolate and purify the tumor cells. Furthermore, the tumor cells of an individual patient will be exposed, in vitro, to therapeutic doses of chemotherapy drugs. The MiCK assay results help oncologist choose a chemotherapeutic agent that is most efficient in killing the patient's specific cancer cells.