A monoclonal antibody (Po66) directed against human lung squamous cell carcinoma immunolocalization of tumour xenografts in nude mice

Summary Po66, a mouse IgG1 monoclonal antibody, was produced by immunization against a patient lung squamous cell carcinoma. The tissue reactivity of the antibody was measured by a radioimmunological assay with enzymatically dissociated cells, by an immunofluorescence test on frozen tissue sections and by peroxidase-staining of paraffin sections. The antibody bound to lung squamous cell carcinoma, oesophagous carcinoma and, inconsistantly to lung adenocarcinoma but not to the other tumours tested. Some normal tissues also reacted positively, in particular bronchial serous glands, oesophagus epithelium and renal distal and collecting tubules. In normal and malignant tissues showing epithelioid differentiation, Po66 bound to the intermediate maturation area. The antigen immunoprecipitated by Po66 from lung squamous cell carcinoma appeared as a single band with a molecular weight 47000 to 50000 daltons. Purified monoclonal antibody Po66 and an unrelated IgG1 immunoglobulin were labelled with radioactive iodine and injected i. v. into nude mice bearing subcutaneous xenografts of human lung squamous cell carcinoma. The localization index in the tumour was 3.3. Antibody labelled with ¹³¹I allowed gamma-scintigraphic imaging of the xenografts which were clearly outlined by days 9 to 11.This work was supported by Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer