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Updated: Apr 24, 2026
Analyzing Tumor and Tissue Distribution of Target Antigen Specific Therapeutic Antibody
Published on: May 16, 2020
Quantitative Spatial Profiling of Antibody Delivery and Target Engagement Using Optically Labeled Antibodies
Hidenori Tanaka1, Georgii Vasiukov2, Candace J Grisham2
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee hidenori.tanaka@vumc.org e.rosenthal@vumc.org.
Abstract:
Visualization of drug distribution in human tumors is critical for optimizing biologic therapeutics, yet current clinical workflows cannot colocalize drugs and biomarkers on the same formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded section. Methods: We present a reproducible workflow that integrates near-infrared imaging of optically labeled therapeutic antibodies with multiplex immunostaining and computational registration to enable quantitative, single-cell analysis. Results: Using panitumumab-IRDye800CW, we demonstrated heterogeneous accumulation in epidermal growth factor receptor-positive regions and quantified penetration gradients relative to tumor architecture. Conclusion: We established a multiplex imaging platform that enables single-cell analysis of therapeutic antibody delivery and pharmacodynamics in human formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues.
Insights
This study introduces a new method to visualize drug distribution in human tumors, enabling single-cell analysis of therapeutic antibody delivery and pharmacodynamics in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biomedical Imaging
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Visualizing drug distribution in human tumors is essential for optimizing biologic therapeutics.
- Current clinical methods struggle to colocalize drugs and biomarkers on the same tissue section.
- Accurate visualization is key for understanding drug pharmacodynamics and efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a reproducible workflow for visualizing drug distribution and biomarker colocalization in human tumors.
- To enable quantitative, single-cell analysis of therapeutic antibody delivery and pharmacodynamics.
- To overcome limitations of current clinical workflows in analyzing drug-tissue interactions.
Main Methods:
- Integration of near-infrared imaging of optically labeled antibodies with multiplex immunostaining.
- Utilizing computational registration for precise spatial alignment of imaging data.
- Development of a reproducible workflow for analyzing formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated heterogeneous accumulation of panitumumab-IRDye800CW in epidermal growth factor receptor-positive tumor regions.
- Quantified drug penetration gradients in relation to tumor architecture.
- Enabled single-cell level analysis of drug distribution and target engagement.
Conclusions:
- Established a multiplex imaging platform for analyzing therapeutic antibody delivery in FFPE human tumors.
- The platform facilitates single-cell analysis of drug pharmacodynamics and delivery.
- This approach enhances the understanding of biologic therapeutic distribution and efficacy in oncology.
