Methods for assessing cell viability or predicting cell response to a treatment using cell movement

1. A non-destructive method for assessing primary cancer cell viability following contact with an active agent said method comprising

(a) culturing a plurality of primary cancer cells from a subject in a chamber;

(b) contacting the primary cancer cells in the chamber with an active agent;

(c) capturing a first bright field image from the primary cancer cells contacted with the active agent at a first time point;

(d) capturing a second bright field image from the primary cancer cells contacted with the active agent at a second time point; wherein the capture of the first and second bright field images does not destroy the primary cancer cells providing for longitudinal analysis; wherein the longitudinal analysis provides data for at least 2 days; and

(e) detecting cell membrane motion of the primary cancer cells between the first and second time points; wherein cell membrane motion is detected by stacking the first and second bright field images, subtracting background, aligning the images whereby translational motion caused by vibration and movement of the chamber is removed, detecting maximal pixel intensity across the images, thereby forming a maximal pixel intensity image, and subtracting the first bright field image from the maximal pixel intensity image; wherein an image remaining following the first optical image being subtracted from the maximal pixel intensity image indicates membrane motion; and wherein presence of membrane motion indicates a viable primary cancer cell and absence of motion indicates primary cancer cell death.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising collecting parameters to generate a multi-parameter model that summarizes the response of the subject to the active agent.

3. The method claim 1 , further comprising selecting a cancer treatment regimen for the subject based on the results of the multi-parameter model.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer comprises a hematological cancer.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer comprises multiple myeloma.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chamber recapitulates the cancer microenvironment.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chamber comprises extracellular matrix, subject-derived stroma, and growth factors to recapitulate the cancer microenvironment.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chamber comprises a microfluidic chamber.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chamber comprises a well in a multiwell-plate.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising collecting a sample from the subject and isolating the cells from the sample.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sample comprises a bone marrow aspirate.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the active agent comprises an anticancer agent.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the active agent comprises a combination of active agents.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising preparing a three-dimensional dose-response curve by assaying the viability of cells from the subject in response to the active agent at a plurality of time points at a plurality of dosages; wherein the method indicates an effective dosing schedule of the active agent.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein method indicates an effective concentration of the active agent.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the active agent comprises, melphalan, bortezomib, FAM-HYD-1, Marizomib (NPI-0052), Carfilzomib, Cytoxan, Dexamethasone, Thalidomide, Lenalidomide, Oprozomib, Panobinostat, Quisinostat, Selinexor, or a combination thereof.