Journal Article

DKFZ-2026-01224

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Targeting EpCAM expression via near-infrared fluorescent antibodies enables microscopic delineation of primary and recurrent HNSCC.

Uhl, B.DKFZ* ; Eggert, D. ; Smiljanov, B. ; von Thun Und Hohenstein, K. ; Walz, C. ; Kranz, G. ; Schwenk-Zieger, S. ; Haring, F. ; Luft, J. ; Song, J. ; Holtmann, V. ; Baumeister, P. ; Reichel, C. A. ; Gires, O. ; Canis, M. ; Betz, C.

2026
BioMed Central London

Abstract: In surgical treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), resection with adequate tumor-free margins is a fundamental challenge. Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM/CD326) is substantially overexpressed in HNSCC representing a potential target for fluorescence-guided delineation of HNSCC.EpCAM expression was assessed in vitro on squamous cell carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract (SCC-UADT) and fibroblasts employing immunostaining with anti-EpCAM antibodies VU1D9 and MT201/adecatumumab (clinically validated). Whole tumor analyses of EpCAM expression were conducted in patient samples with primary and recurrent HNSCC. Confocal microscopy was used for EpCAM expression analyses upon immunostaining in cultured patient HNSCC resection samples using IRDye800CW-labeled MT201.Immunostaining with VU1D9 and MT201 revealed a high, consistent, and specific expression of EpCAM on SCC-UADT in vitro. Human whole tumor analyses showed high and consistent EpCAM expression (primary: 9/9 > = 80%; recurrent: 6/9 > = 80%) and significantly elevated near-infrared fluorescence intensities for IRDye800CW-VU1D9 and IRDye800CW-MT201 in HNSCC as compared to non-malignant tissue (2-7 fold vs. mucosa; 6-20 fold vs. HNSCC-associated stroma). Translational postoperative immunostaining of live cultured patient HNSCC samples using the clinically validated IRDye800CW-MT201/adecatumumab enabled microscopical differentiation of HNSCC from adjacent non-malignant tissue (fluorescence intensity ratios HNSCC vs. mucosa: 7,66 ± 1,26; and vs. HNSCC-associated stroma: 50,97 ± 8,24)).IRDye800CW-labeled anti-EpCAM antibodies allow experimental microscopic delineation of HNSCC from non-malignant tissue. As a future outlook, these probes might improve tumor resection in near-infrared fluorescence-guided surgery of primary and recurrent HNSCC.

Keyword(s): Humans (MeSH) ; Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule: metabolism (MeSH) ; Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule: immunology (MeSH) ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck: pathology (MeSH) ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck: metabolism (MeSH) ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck: surgery (MeSH) ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local: pathology (MeSH) ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local: metabolism (MeSH) ; Head and Neck Neoplasms: pathology (MeSH) ; Head and Neck Neoplasms: metabolism (MeSH) ; Head and Neck Neoplasms: surgery (MeSH) ; Head and Neck Neoplasms: diagnosis (MeSH) ; Antibodies, Monoclonal (MeSH) ; Cell Line, Tumor (MeSH) ; Female (MeSH) ; Male (MeSH) ; EpCAM ; Fluorescence-guided surgery ; HNSCC ; IRDye800 ; Image-guided surgery ; Near-infrared ; Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule ; EPCAM protein, human ; Antibodies, Monoclonal

Note: #DKTKZFB26#

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. DKTK Koordinierungsstelle München (MU01)

Research Program(s):

1. 899 - ohne Topic (POF4-899) (POF4-899)

Appears in the scientific report 2026

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Database coverage:
; ; Article Processing Charges ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Clinical Medicine ; DOAJ Seal ; Ebsco Academic Search ; Essential Science Indicators ; Fees ; IF < 5 ; JCR ; PubMed Central ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection

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