a compound / agent and associated medical treatment method employing the compound / agent that selectively kills tumor cells using p - 32 isotope carried on a dna fragment is provided herein . illustratively , the p - 32 isotope is bound to a fragment of the alpha - fetoprotein ( afp ) gene . in an illustrative embodiment , the term “ fragment ” is defined to include a sequence of contiguous base pairs ( bp ) ranging between approximately 10 bp to 2032 bp ( the full length of the gene ). the bonding of p - 32 isotope is accomplished using conventional labeling techniques . the dna fragment that is produced is employed as a carrier for p - 32 isotope into cancer cells , so as to kill them through radiation emitted from the p - 32 once the fragment is absorbed by the cell and bound to the cell &# 39 ; s dna . the compound / agent can be generated for use by conventional processes using a predetermined fragment of plurality of different fragments of the afp gene . the sequence of this gene is well known . in an embodiment , the fragments can be produced using a conventional pcr or dna synthesis machine to produce the p - 32 afp dna fragments , the dna length designed as 10 - 2032 bps . the dna fragments can be any part of the whole afp dna sequence . in an embodiment in which the compound / agent is employed as a probe to determine cell - uptake , as described further below , 50 ng ( or another quantity ) of afp cdna is 32p [ alpha - dctp ]- labeled using random primed dna labeling kit . the labeling product is then purified to exclude the unincorporated nucleotides . in an exemplary embodiment , length of the resulting purified p - 32 afp dna is at least 20 bp , but other lengths are expressly contemplated as described above . radioactivity of probe can then be quantified by scintillation counter . the associated counts per minute ( cpm ) of the p - 32 labeled probe is determined by the scintillation counter . 1 ul of labeled reaction can be used for quantification in an exemplary embodiment . with a focus on liver cancer cells as an initial target , the goal of an initial testy was to determine whether small fragments of afp dan are capable of migrating into liver cancer cells , binding to dna and remaining bound for sufficient time periods . the first test relates to whether small afp dna fragments are capable of migrating into liver cancer cells efficiently . uptaking of 32p - labeled afp dna fragments by hep3b and huh7 hepatoma cells : 1 . cell lines : hep3b and huh7 hepatoma cell lines . 2 . radioactive materials : 32p [ alpha - dctp ] ( available from perkin elmer life sciences , catalog no . blu513h250uc ). 3 . human alpha fetoprotein ( afp ) plasmid ( pcmv - sport6 - afp ) ( available from open biosystems , catalog no . mhs1010 - 7430075 ) 4 . gel extraction kit ( available from qiagen : catalog no . 20021 ) 5 . random primed dna labeling kit ( available from roche usa , catalog no . 11004760001 ) 6 . g - 50 m micro columns ( available from ge healthcare ; catalog no . 28903408 ) 7 . transfection agent : fugene 8 . dna isolation kit , dnazol ( available from invitrogen , catalog no . 10503 - 027 ) 1 . perform pcr purification of all lengths of afp cdna : using pcmv - sport6 - afp as the template , the whole length of afp cdna is pcr amplified by using the following pair of primers ( p 1 , p 2 ): 50 ng of afp cdna is 32p [ alpha - dctp ]- labeled using a random primed dna labeling kit . the labeling product is purified to exclude the unincorporated nucleotide . the length of purified probe is at least 20 bp . 3 . radioactivity of probe is quantified by a scintillation counter , thereby determining the cpm of labeled probe . 1 ul of labeled reaction is used for quantification . 4 . cell preparation and treatment with radio - labeled afp probe in which the exponentially growing hepatoma cells ( hep3b and huh7 ) are trypsinized one day before treatment and seeded on 24 - well plate at the density of 6 × 104 cells per well . this well is not shown . however the arrangement is represented by the dot blot photomicrograph 100 in fig1 , where the genomic dna from cells in each of the groups is arranged after treatment . the results from the treated cells are arranged in six lines ( columns ) 101 - 106 . columns 101 - 103 contain hep3b cells and columns 104 - 106 contain huh7 cells . there are three rows l 1 , l 2 and l 3 in the arrangement . except as described below , the treatments are discretely provided to each of three cells ( l 1 , l 2 and l 3 ) for each cell line ( 101 - 106 ): lines 101 and 104 : 6 ul of 32p - labeled probe without adding any transfection reagent . lines 102 and 105 : 6 ul of 32p - labeled probe with transfect ion agent following the proportion of 3 ul fugene + 2 ug 32p - labeled dna . fugene is a commercial regent which assists in allowing dnas to migrate into cells . lines 103 and 106 : 6 ul of radiolabeled probe with transfusion agent following the proportion of 8 ul fugene + 2 ug 32p - labeled dna . the cell at location 105 , l 3 was provided with 1 ul of 32p - labeled probe as a comparison to all other cells , which were provided with 6 ul of 32p - labeled probe . 6 . the cells are incubated with radioactive probe for 12 - 16 hours . the genomic dnas are then isolated from the cells by dnazol . the incorporated radioactive dna fragments into the genome are thereafter quantified by a scintillation counter . in addition , whole amount of genomic dna samples are dot - blotted on the nylon membrane , and the membrane is exposed to a kodak x - film , which provides the cellular - level image shown in fig1 . the arrangement 100 in fig1 shows the results of treatment of individual hep3b cells ( lines 101 - 102 ) and individual huh7 cells ( lines 104 - 106 ) using the various treatment parameters described in section b above . the following are specific results based upon the exposed image of each cell and the detected cpm value : 1 . as indicated partially by the extreme darkness of the exposure . huh7 hepatoma cells can uptake 32p - labeled afp fragments , but hep3b hepatoma cells appear to uptake a minimal amount of 32p - dna fragments . the difference is approximately 66 times greater in huh7 than hep3b . some promise may be shown in the treatment of hep3b cells of line 102 . there is no significant difference between lines 104 , 105 and 106 . 2 . a lower dose of afp dna ( 1 ul rather than 6 ul ) results in less uptake , as shown by the cell at line 105 , l 3 . this difference is significant based upon a count of 302 cpm for the lower dose cell , versus 7400 cpm . this shows that the uptake of dna by the huh7 cell is dose ( of dna ) related . 3 . the small afp dna fragments used can readily migrate into the cancer cells without using of a transfection agent , particularly in the case of huh7 . 4 . the small afp dna fragments remain within the cancer cell so as to provide a desired dosage of ionizing radiation , which can be detected by dot blot . 5 . more generally , based upon the radioactivity readings ( count as cpm ) of genomic dna isolated from hepatocarcinoma cells after incubation with p - 32 labeled afp dna fragments , the huh7 cells can uptake p32 - labeled afp dnas , which is not affected by adding fugene . hep3b cells are minimally able , or unable to uptake the dnas . the result is significant based upon a determined difference in counts 111 . 3 vs 7400 ( e . g . 66 times difference ). iii . live animal model experiment : in vivo treatment for liver cancer based upon proof that small afp dna fragments can penetrate into liver cells using , or free - of , a transfection agent , a series of animal tests are performed on tumors . the following procedure steps are provided : 1 . prepare treatment compound / agent containing afp dna fragments and label the dnas with p - 32 isotope 1 . afp vector ( dilute the plasmid to final concentration 50 ng / ul by water ) 2 . afp forward primer p 1 and p 2 ( 20 μmol ) in h 2 o , reverse prime ( 20 μmol ) in h 2 o ( from invitrogen ): the above materials are handled and used in accordance with ordinary skill and the respective manufacturers &# 39 ; recommended procedures . 2 . prepare dntp solution containing dttp dgtp each at 10 mmol / l 4 . gently tap the side of the reaction tube to mix ingredients . 5 . set up reaction following the following sequence of thermal parameters and associated exposure times : repeat step 5 from exposure times / settings ( 2 ) to ( 4 ) for 40 cycles 6 . remove the tubes from the thermal cycle ( step 5 ). then remove remaining unincorporated dntps and the oligonucleotide with g - 50 columns according to the manufacture &# 39 ; s manual . 7 . next , employ the series 900 , mini - monitor to measure the yield and the specific activity of radiolabeled afp dna fragments . once the associated radioactivity activity of the dna fragments resulting from the process has been determined , the compound / agent is prepared into injection into live animals experience liver cancer tumors . before injection , the preparation of animals with liver tumors is the next step in the testing process . in an example , h22 cells are injected subcutaneously at the flunk area of the receipt mice . kunming nu / nu mice , male 22 - 24 gm are used in an example . at each injection site , 1 × 10 6 of h22 liver cancer cells are injected subcutaneously into the nude mice at flunk area . the tumor nodules are noted 6 days after injection . the mice are divided into three groups : a control group , ( a ), which receives only an injection of normal saline in the same volume as other groups receiving the compound / agent ( the number n of this group equals 11 ); a second group ( b ) receiving the p - 32 isotope only 5 uci per mouse ( n = 10 ); and a group ( c ) that receives the p - 32 labeled afp dna compound / agent 5 uci per mouse ( n = 8 ). the saline , p - 32 isotope and p - 32 afp dna compound are each injected into the peritoneal cavity in mice for liver cancer treatment on the sixth day after h22 injection and notation of resulting tumors . following injection of the cancer treatment , survival , tumor size and radioactivity in the tumor tissue were the endpoint outcome to study . in this trial , only a single injection is made . the subject animals are then observed for two weeks , and thereafter euthanized for subsequent tumor study . tumors are removed from surviving animals and are shown in the photographic diagram 200 of fig2 . the extracted tumors for each of three groups a , b and c are displayed in corresponding photographic diagram rows a , b and c . the following table also exhibits the measured results : the results show higher radioactivity detected in group c mice which are treated with p - 32 afp dna . this result suggests the p - 32 labeled afp dna can bind the cancer cells &# 39 ; dna and maintain in the cells longer , so as to kill the cells via radiation exposure . only one mouse has died in group c , but three have died in group a and six have died in group b . this result shows the best survival in the group treated with p - 32 labeled afp dna , and the worst survival in the p - 32 treated group . more specific results now follow below . this result suggests that p - 32 labeled afp dna fragment treatment significantly improves survival in liver cancer . group a mice treated with normal saline , have tumors ( 210 in fig2 ) that are harvested on the fourteenth day of treatment . the average tumor weight on the fourteenth day is 8 . 75 grams , in which the tumor weight to body weight ratio averages 16 . 8 %. group b mice treated with normal p - 32 , have tumors ( 220 fig2 ) that are harvested on the fourteenth day of treatment . the average tumor weight on the fourteenth day is 7 . 2 grams , in which the tumor weight to body weight ratio averages 15 . 2 %. group c mice treated with p - 32 afp dna compound / agent , have tumors that are harvested on day 14 th of treatment . the average tumor weight on the 14 th days is 5 . 47 grams , in which the tumor weight to body weight ratio averages 12 . 23 %. the table shows the relative radioactivity based on radioactive count from the tumor tissue on the 14 th day . notably , the count in the group c tumors is significantly higher than that of group b , indicating that the tumors retained the agent with radioactive p - 32 more effectively . more generally , as depicted visually in fig2 , tumors in group c at the end point ( 14 days ) are noticeably smaller than those of group a and b . combined with the measured radioactivity results , which is significantly higher in group c than in group b , the results overall suggest that the p - 32 afp dna fragments binds with the tumor cells dna and maintains the p - 32 within the cancer cells longer . iv . medical treatment method for human liver cancer treatment with phosphorous - 32 labeled afp dna fragments it is contemplated than an appropriate preparation of the above - described compound / agent including p - 32 labeled afp dna can be employed in the medical treatment of liver cancer , and potentially other forms or cancer , in accordance with an associated treatment protocol . in an illustrative embodiment , the treatment method ( as also shown in the flow diagram of fig3 ) is as follows : patients selected for this treatment method ( procedure 300 in fig3 ) are typically those who have been diagnosed with liver cancer , and exhibit an elevated level of afp . this treatment may better benefit the late stage liver cancer and / or with metastasis which are not amenable for surgery . contraindication of radioactive therapy should be excluded from this treatment . desirably , before treatment begins , the each patient should undergo a tumor imaging study using an appropriate image modality or modalities ( e . g . ct scan , pet scan , mri , etc .) ( step 302 ). using pcr or dna synthesis machine to produce the p - 32 afp dna fragments , the dna length designed is between 10 - 2032 bp in an illustrative embodiment . the dna fragments can be any part of the whole afp dna sequence , and it is expressly contemplated that a more - narrow size range can be defined in alternate embodiments . for example , if a certain size range of fragment is shown to more effectively penetrate a cell by experimentation , then that range of fragment sizes is selected for use in the compound . the materials to be used in synthesizing the compound / agent are as described in detail in sections i - iii above ( step 310 ). the radioactivity of the compound / agent is quantified to assist in administering the proper dose . a predetermined dosage — for example 1 to 160 mci of p - 32 afp dnas are administered to each patient , illustratively by injecting the compound via the peritoneal cavity or administering it through angioplasty to liver vessels ( artery , etc .) to target the tumor ( step 320 ). the amount of administered radioactivity can be varied up and down 200 % of the dose range as described above based on patient &# 39 ; s age , body weight and the size of tumor . more generally , it is expressly contemplated that a wide variety of drug - delivery techniques and routes of delivery can be employed in any of the embodiments contemplated herein . for example the techniques for administering a predetermined dosage of the compound include , but are not limited to , delivery via ( a ) oral ingestion , ( b ) injection into a peritoneal cavity of the human body , ( c ) intravenously , ( d ) subcutaneously , ( e ) intramuscularly and ( f ) injection via a liver artery of the human body , ( g ) directly to the tumor tissue . each patient should be observed , typically in a special nuclear medicine ward ( with radioactivity precautions in place ) for one to three days , particularly if a higher dose ( higher than 60 mci ) is administered ( step 330 ). if the dosage is insufficient ( decision step 340 ) after initial observation , further compound / gent can be re - administered in an appropriate dosage ( step 320 ), and the patient is re - observed ( step 330 ). once the patient has received the appropriate dosage , he or she can be discharged ( via decision step 340 ). precautions should be provided in detail upon discharge to the patient to avoid contamination of his or her direct environment — especially if small children are present . a follow - up tumor imaging study is desirably performed one to three months after the treatment ( step 350 ) for comparison with the pre - treatment study ( step 302 ) to determine the effectiveness of the treatment . based upon this examination , a prognosis can be derived by the practitioner . patients may require one or more follow - up treatments ( injection of the p - 32 dna fragments and subsequent monitoring according to steps 310 - 360 ) to achieve optimal prognosis ( decision step 360 ). when a desirable prognosis is achieved , the patient can be placed upon a less frequent , but still - diligent schedule of observation for recurrence of the condition ( step 370 ). it is also expressly contemplated that the illustrative compound and method can be employed to perform cancer diagnosis . in an illustrative embodiment the following steps are employed : 1 . the p - 32 labeled dna fragment is administered to the patient in a manner similar to that described above for treatment . the dosage can vary as described above , potentially being lower , as the compound is being used in a diagnostic context , rather than a treatment context . 2 . the patient is observed , potentially in a nuclear medicine ward for between approximately 24 - 72 hours after which time the compound has sufficiently and selectively bound to genomic dna in the affected cancer cells . alternatively , where the dose is sufficiently low , the patient may be released from the clinical environment during the relevant period and return for scanning 3 . the patient is subjected to a whole body scan ( or a localized scan where appropriate ) typically between 24 - 72 hours after administration of the p - 32 dna fragment compound . 4 . a practitioner ( radiologist , etc .) studies the results of the scan to study regions where the tumor and / or metastasis exists in the patients body , these regions being highlighted in the scan based upon the p - 32 emissions . thereafter one or more practitioners perform a diagnosis of the studied condition for follow - up treatment . it should be clear that the compound / agent described herein , as well as the illustrative medical treatment method employing the compound / agent provides a significant tool in the treatment of certain types of cancerous conditions . this method applies treatment selectively , and with minimal risk of over - exposure to radioactive substances . the foregoing has been a detailed description of illustrative embodiments of the invention . various modifications and additions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention . each of the various embodiments described above may be combined with other described embodiments in order to provide multiple features . furthermore , while the foregoing describes a number of separate embodiments of the apparatus and method of the present invention , what has been described herein is merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention . for example , the size of the afp fragment employed is highly variable , as is the portion of the overall fragment being employed for binding with p - 32 . the use of an afp fragment is only one example of possible dna strands that can be bound with p - 32 for injection into cancerous tissue . it is contemplated that the medical treatment method herein can employ other types of dna fragments that are shown to be associated with certain types of cancer cells . for example , the same methods described herein can be employed to label a calcitonin dna fragment with p - 32 to treat medullary thyroid carcinoma . likewise a combination of different types of p - 32 labeled fragments can be employed in a single injection to selectively bind with different portions of genes or different cell types in a tumor mass . moreover , the use of the illustrative compound / agent in a treatment protocol can be supplemented with other forms of conventional treatment , such as chemotherapy , radiation , and the like , if needed to achieve the most desirable prognosis . accordingly , this description is meant to be taken only by way of example , and not to otherwise limit the scope of this invention .
this invention provides a combination of a gene and isotope therapy that is applied to a cancerous tissue to selectively kill that associated cancer cells with minimal negative effects on surrounding non - cancerous cells . functionally , the specific dna fragments with labeled isotope are able to bind the tumor cells dna through recombination , and then the isotope kills the tumor cells . a gene is employed as a carrier to deliver the p - 32 which can kill cancer cells through radioactive emission . unlike traditional gene therapy , which employs a gene to express a protein , which can suppress the cancer cell growth or increase the sensitivity for radiation therapy or chemotherapy , the illustrative embodiment actually binds the radioactive substance via a gene . the illustrative embodiment produces the compound / agent containing a gene and p - 32 through use of conventional p - 32 labeling techniques such as those employed in molecular biology experiments . in the illustrative embodiment , however , the same p - 32 labeled dna is employed directly for cancer treatment through a novel medical treatment method . appropriate doses are provided to patients as part of a medical treatment method .