Cetuximab–Toxin Conjugate and NPe6 with Light Enhanced Cytotoxic Effects in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Vitro

Abstract

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a cancer-targeted treatment that uses a photosensitizer (PS) and irradiation of a specific wavelength to exert cytotoxic effects. To enhance the antitumor effect against head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), we developed a new phototherapy, intelligent targeted antibody phototherapy (iTAP). This treatment uses a combination of immunotoxin (IT) and a PS for PDT and light irradiation. In our prior study, we demonstrated that an immunotoxin (IT) consisting of an anti-ROBO1 antibody conjugated to saporin, when used in combination with the photosensitizer (PS) disulfonated aluminum phthalocyanine (AlPcS2a) and irradiated with light at the appropriate wavelength, resulted in increased cytotoxicity against head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells. ROBO1 is a receptor known to be involved in the progression of cancer. In this study, we newly investigate the iTAP targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) which is widely used as a therapeutic target for HNSCC. Methods: We checked the expression of EGFR in HNSCC cell lines, SAS, HO-1-u-1, Sa3, and HSQ-89. We analyzed the cytotoxicity of saporin-conjugated anti-EGFR antibody (cetuximab) (IT-Cmab), mono-L-aspartyl chlorin e6 (NPe6, talaporfin sodium), and light (664 nm) irradiation (i.e., iTAP) in SAS, HO-1-u-1, Sa3, and HSQ-89 cells. Results: EGFR was expressed highly in Sa3, moderately in HO-1-u-1, SAS, and nearly not in HSQ-89. Cmab alone or IT-Cmab alone did not show cytotoxic effects in Sa3, HO-1-u-1, and HSQ-89 cells, which have moderate or low expression levels of EGFR protein. However, the iTAP method enhanced the cytotoxicity of IT-Cmab by the photodynamic effect in Sa3 and HO-1-u-1 cells, which have moderate levels of EGFR expression. Conclusion: Our study is the first to report on the iTAP method using IT-Cmab and NPe6 for HNSCC. The cytotoxic effects are enhanced in cell lines with moderate levels of EGFR protein expression, but not in nonexpressing cell lines, which is expected to expand the range of therapeutic windows and potentially reduce complications.