Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026
Intramucosal Inoculation of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells in Mice for Tumor Immune Profiling and Treatment Response Assessment
Published on: April 22, 2019
Fluorescently labeled cetuximab to evaluate head and neck cancer response to treatment
John P Gleysteen1, Ryan D Duncan, J Scott Magnuson
1Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Objective:
Combining the therapeutic and diagnostic properties of targeted antibodies may improve clinical assessment of disease with limited added toxicity during treatment.
Methods:
Mice (n = 10) were xenografted with SCC-1 tumor cells and then treated with radiation, cisplatin and cetuximab. Brightfield and fluorescent imaging was performed after systemically injecting fluorescently labeled cetuximab prior to treatment and at six or ten weeks after initiation of treatment. The relative fluorescence intensity was determined for each image.
Results:
The tumor luminosity measured before (week 0), during (week 6) and after treatment (week 10) did not significantly change. Actual tumor measurement corresponded to fluorescent measurements of tumors both before treatment and after treatment. Complete response to therapy occurred in one animal, where resolution of the tumor correlated with loss of fluorescent activity.
Conclusions:
This preclinical data suggests combining the diagnostic and therapeutic properties of cetuximab may be clinically useful.
