Development of monoclonal antibodies with specificity to oral squamous cell carcinoma.

A panel of five monoclonal antibodies have been produced that show binding when directed against human oral head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. These monoclonal antibodies are derived from antibody-secreting cells obtained using cell hybridization techniques. The activity of the antibody was tested in vitro against oral head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (n = 10). Control groups included normal oral mucosa (n = 7), hyperkeratosis (n = 5), mild dysplasia (n = 4), and severe dysplasia (n = 3). Results using immunoperoxidase staining confirmed the binding of the five monoclonal antibodies to human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells, with predominant reactivity (50% to 90%) in the majority of the specimens, compared with negative (0%) to weak (less than 5%) or focal (5% to less than 50%) reactivity in the control specimens.