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Updated: Nov 27, 2025
In Vivo Immunofluorescence Localization for Assessment of Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibody Biodistribution in Cancer Research
Published on: September 16, 2019
Characterization of novel neutralizing mouse monoclonal antibody JM1-24-3 developed against MUC18 in metastatic
Runhua Feng1,2, Yuling Wang1, Vijaya Ramachandran1
1Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Background:
MUC18 is a glycoprotein highly expressed on the surface of melanoma and other cancers which promotes tumor progression and metastasis. However, its mechanism of action and suitability as a therapeutic target are unknown.
Methods:
A monoclonal antibody (mAb) (JM1-24-3) was generated from metastatic melanoma tumor live cell immunization, and high-throughput screening identified MUC18 as the target.
Results:
Analysis of molecular interactions between MUC18 and JM1-24-3 revealed that the downstream signaling events depended on binding of the mAb to a conformational epitope on the extracellular domain of MUC18. JM1-24-3 inhibited melanoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and reduced tumor growth and metastasis in vivo.
Conclusion:
These results confirm that MUC18 is mechanistically important in melanoma growth and metastasis, suggest that the MUC18 epitope identified is a promising therapeutic target, and that the JM1-24-3 mAb may serve as the basis for a potential therapeutic agent.
