IN-VITRO ASSAY OF THE EFFECTS OF ANTICANCER DRUGS ON LEUKEMIC T-CELLSBY FLOW MICROCALORIMETRY

The effects of the anticancer drugs methotrexate, vincristine, adriamy cin and daunorubicin on leukemic T-cells were studied by flow microcal orimetry and conventional cell proliferation assays. Alterations in th e metabolic heat power of cell suspensions due to drug treatment were measured, as a function of time and dose of exposure, and correlated w ith cell growth inhibition data. While no clear correlation was found for the compound vincristine, a good correlation between calorimetric and cytotoxicity data was obtained for the other drugs tested, suggest ing a potential use of flow microcalorimetry for in vitro predictive t ests of the effects of anticancer drugs.