C1s targeting antibodies inhibit the growth of cutaneous squamous carcinoma cells

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Dermatology

Background:

• Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the most common metastatic skin cancer with increasing incidence and poor prognosis.
• Current treatments lack specific targeted therapies for advanced or metastatic cSCC.
• Previous research identified abundant C1s expression in invasive cSCC cells and demonstrated that C1s knockdown reduces cSCC cell viability and growth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the therapeutic potential of targeting C1s in cSCC.
• To evaluate the efficacy of specific mouse monoclonal antibodies (TNT003 and TNT005) against human C1s in cSCC cell lines.

Main Methods:

• Utilized five primary non-metastatic and three metastatic cSCC cell lines expressing intracellular and secreted C1s.
• Treated cSCC cell lines with IgG2a mouse monoclonal antibodies TNT003 and TNT005 targeting human C1s.
• Assessed the effects of antibody treatment on cell growth, viability, and apoptosis.

Main Results:

• Treatment with TNT003 and TNT005 significantly inhibited the growth and viability of cSCC cells.
• Antibody treatment promoted apoptosis in cSCC cells.
• These findings were observed in both non-metastatic and metastatic cSCC cell lines.

Conclusions:

• Specific C1s-targeted monoclonal antibodies (TNT003 and TNT005) demonstrate efficacy in inhibiting cSCC cell growth and inducing apoptosis in vitro.
• Targeting C1s represents a promising therapeutic strategy for advanced and metastatic cSCC.
• Further in vitro and in vivo studies are warranted to validate these findings for clinical application.