Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Int J Nanomedicine. 2011;6:1739-45. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S23348. Epub 2011 Aug 19.
The purpose of this study was to investigate in-vivo visible imaging of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) by targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) with near-infrared quantum dots.
Quantum dots with an emission wavelength of 800 nm (QD800) were conjugated to monoclonal antibodies against EGFR, resulting in the probe designated as QD800-EGFR Ab. OSCC cell line (BcaCD885) expressing high levels of EGFR was transplanted subcutaneously into nude mice cheeks to develop an OSCC animal model. QD800-EGFR Ab containing 100 pmol equivalent of QD800 was intravenously injected into the animal model, and in-situ and in-vivo imaging of cheek squamous cell carcinoma was analyzed at 10 different time points.
In-vivo imaging and immunohistochemical examination of the tumors showed that intravenously injected QD800-EGFR Ab probe could bind EGFR expressed on BcaCD885 cells. Fluorescence signals of BcaCD885 cells labeled with QD800-EGFR Ab probe could be clearly detected, and these fluorescence signals lasted for 24 hours. The most complete tumor images with maximal signal-to-noise ratio were observed from 15 minutes to 6 hours after injection of the probe. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that has obtained clear in-situ and in-vivo imaging of head and neck cancer by using QD800-EGFR Ab probe. The authors conclude that the combination of near-infrared quantum dots that are highly penetrating for tissues with EGFR monoclonal antibody has promising prospects in in-vivo imaging of OSCC and development of personalized surgical therapies.
本研究旨在通过近红外量子点靶向表皮生长因子受体（EGFR）对口腔鳞状细胞癌（OSCC）进行体内可见成像。
将发射波长为 800nm 的量子点（QD800）与针对 EGFR 的单克隆抗体连接，得到标记为 QD800-EGFR Ab 的探针。将高表达 EGFR 的 OSCC 细胞系（BcaCD885）皮下移植到裸鼠脸颊，建立 OSCC 动物模型。将含有 100pmol 当量 QD800 的 QD800-EGFR Ab 探针经静脉注射入动物模型，在 10 个不同时间点分析颊鳞状细胞癌的原位和体内成像。
肿瘤的体内成像和免疫组织化学检查显示，静脉注射的 QD800-EGFR Ab 探针可以与 BcaCD885 细胞上表达的 EGFR 结合。QD800-EGFR Ab 探针标记的 BcaCD885 细胞的荧光信号可以清晰检测到，这些荧光信号持续 24 小时。在注射探针后 15 分钟至 6 小时，观察到具有最大信噪比的最完整的肿瘤图像。据作者所知，这是首次使用 QD800-EGFR Ab 探针获得头颈部癌症的体内和原位成像的研究。作者得出结论，组织穿透力强的近红外量子点与 EGFR 单克隆抗体的结合在 OSCC 的体内成像和个性化手术治疗的发展中具有广阔的前景。
