Protein activity modification
View Patent ↗A method of modifying tissue behavior, comprising: determining a desired modification of tissue behavior for at least one of treatment of a disease, short or long term modification of tissue behavior, assessing tissue state and assessing tissue response to stimulation; selecting an electric field having an expected effect of modifying protein activity of at least one protein as an immediate response of a tissue to the field, said expected effect correlated with said desired modification; and applying said field to said tissue.
1. A method for classifying a patient according to an expected responsiveness to a non-excitatory electric field treatment using an extracted heart tissue sample, comprising:
applying a non-excitatory electric field to an extracted heart tissue sample; testing expression markers of a plurality of proteins in said tissue sample, after said applying, to obtain results of said testing, at least one of said plurality of proteins being an HF-related protein; and
classifying the suitability of said patient for a non-excitatory electric field treatment based on said results for a plurality of proteins expression markers.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said non-excitatory electric field causes contractility modulation of said tissue sample.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said testing expression markers comprises determining a phosphorylation level of at least one protein of said plurality of proteins.
4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising determining pre-treatment levels of said phosphorylation level.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said tissue sample originates from a left ventricle of said patient's heart.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of proteins comprise a plurality of HF-related proteins.
7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising pre-testing said plurality of protein expression markers prior to said applying an electric field.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said applying comprises a scheme of a plurality of contractility modulating electric fields.
9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising storing said protein expression results for each of said plurality of electrification schemes.
10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising selecting a part of the tested sample and applying a test thereto.
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said testing expression markers comprises determining protein expression levels.
12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said testing expression markers comprises determining mRNA expression levels.
13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said applying an electric field is conducted in conjunction with administering a medicament.
14. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising homogenizing the tissue sample prior to applying said electric field.
15. A kit for classifying a patient according to an expected responsiveness to a non-excitatory electric field treatment using an extracted heart tissue sample, said kit comprising:
(a) a sample chamber configured for use outside the body;
(b) at least one electrode configured to apply an electric field to tissue within the sample chamber;
(c) a stimulator for applying to said electrode an electric field suitable for a non-excitatory stimulation of an extracted tissue sample within the sample chamber; and
(d) a plurality of indicators for a plurality of proteins expression markers, at least one of said plurality of proteins is an HF-related protein.
16. The kit according to claim 15 , wherein said electric field is configured to cause contractility modulation of said tissue.
17. The kit according to claim 15 , wherein said indicators comprise at least one indicator of protein phosphorylation.
18. The kit according to claim 15 , further comprising instructions of use comprising at least one threshold of an expected value of said proteins expression markers.
19. The kit according to claim 15 , wherein said stimulator is an implantable device.
20. The kit according to claim 15 , further comprising a controller adapted to apply a scheme of a plurality of contractility modulating electric fields.
21. A method for determining the suitability of a treatment to a patient, according to an expected responsiveness to a non-excitatory electric field treatment using an extracted heart tissue sample, comprising:
applying a non-excitatory electric field to an extracted heart tissue sample;
testing expression markers of a plurality of proteins in said tissue sample, after said applying, to obtain results of said testing, at least one of said plurality of proteins being an HF-related protein; and
selecting a non-excitatory electric field treatment expected to have a therapeutic effect on said patient based on said results for a plurality of proteins expression markers.