Antibody-based arrays for detecting multiple signal transducers in rare circulating cells

1. A kit for performing an antibody-based array method, the kit comprising:

(a) a dilution series of a plurality of capture antibodies restrained on a solid support;

(b) a plurality of detection antibodies comprising activation state-independent antibodies and activation state-dependent antibodies, wherein the detection antibodies comprise: a plurality of activation state-independent antibodies which are labeled with glucose oxidase, and a plurality of activation state-dependent antibodies labeled with a first member of a signal amplification pair, wherein the first member of the signal amplification pair is a peroxidase, wherein glucose oxidase generates hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), which channels to and reacts with the first member of the signal amplification pair; and

(c) instructions for methods of using the kit to detect the activation states of a plurality of signal transduction molecules.

2. The kit of claim 1 , wherein the activation state-independent antibodies further comprise a detectable moiety, wherein said detectable moiety is a fluorophore.

3. The kit of claim 1 , wherein the activation state-independent antibodies are directly labeled with glucose oxidase.

4. The kit of claim 1 , wherein the kit further comprises first and second members of the signal amplification pair.

5. The kit of claim 4 , wherein the activation state-dependent antibodies are directly labeled with the first member of the signal amplification pair.

6. The kit of claim 1 , wherein the array has superior dynamic range, which comprises a plurality of dilution series of capture antibodies specific for one or more analytes in a cellular extract.

7. The kit of claim 6 , wherein the cellular extract comprises an extract of circulating cells of a solid tumor.

8. The kit of claim 7 , wherein the cells are isolated from a patient sample by immunomagnetic separation.

9. The kit of claim 8 , wherein the patient sample is selected from the group consisting of whole blood, serum, plasma, urine, sputum, bronchial lavage fluid, tears, nipple aspirate, lymph, saliva, fine needle aspirate, and combinations thereof.

10. The kit of claim 8 , wherein the isolated cells are selected from the group consisting of circulating tumor cells, circulating endothelial cells, circulating endothelial progenitor cells, cancer stem cells, tumor cells, and combinations thereof.

11. The kit of claim 8 , wherein the isolated cells are stimulated in vitro with growth factors.

12. The kit of claim 11 , wherein the isolated cells are lysed following growth factor stimulation to produce the cellular extract.

13. The kit of claim 6 , wherein the one or more analytes comprise a plurality of signal transduction molecules.

14. The kit of claim 6 , wherein the solid support is selected from the group consisting of glass, plastic, chips, pins, filters, beads, paper, membrane, fiber bundles, and combinations thereof.

15. A kit for performing an antibody-based array method, the kit comprising:

(a) a dilution series of a plurality of capture antibodies restrained on a solid support;

(b) a plurality of detection antibodies comprising activation state-independent antibodies and activation state-dependent antibodies, wherein the detection antibodies comprise a plurality of activation state-independent antibodies which are labeled with glucose oxidase, and a plurality of activation state-dependent antibodies labeled with a first member of a signal amplification pair, wherein the first member of the signal amplification pair is horseradish peroxidase, wherein glucose oxidase generates hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), which channels to and reacts with horseradish peroxidase;

(c) a second member of the signal amplification pair, which is a tyramide reagent; and

(d) instructions for methods of using the kit to detect the activation states of a plurality of signal transduction molecules.