Fluorescently Labeled Anti-EGFR to Guide Removal of Lymph Node Metastasis

描述（由申请人提供）：局部和远处转移的检测仍然主要依赖于非特异性解剖或代谢成像技术，这些技术不能为临床医生或外科医生提供实时信息，他们在诊断和治疗过程中依赖于主观标准来检测转移性疾病。荧光成像技术和靶向治疗的不断进步为外科医生和临床医生开发癌症特异性造影剂提供了独特的机会，用于光学检测癌症。我们假设荧光标记的抗EGFR抗体可用于检测和指导显微区域和远处头颈部肿瘤转移的清除。为了验证这一假设，我们建议将荧光标记的单克隆抗egfr抗体全身注射到患有HNSCC宫颈转移或肺转移的免疫缺陷小鼠中，以确定该技术的潜在临床应用价值。实验将旨在确定该技术的敏感性和特异性，并估计该方法检测到的最小肿瘤体积。公共卫生相关性：我们建议头颈癌颈部淋巴结或肺转移的光学成像将显著提高疾病检测，有利于微创手术方法，并改善患者预后。通过注射系统性肿瘤特异性造影剂后的实时光学成像，我们假设亚临床疾病可以被检测和去除。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Detection of regional and distant metastasis remains primarily dependent on non- specific anatomical or metabolic imaging techniques that cannot provide real-time information to clinicians or surgeons who depend upon subjective criteria for detection of metastatic disease during diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Incremental advances in fluorescent imaging technology and targeted therapeutics have provided the unique opportunity for the development of cancer-specific contrast agents for optical detection of cancer by surgeons and clinicians. We hypothesize that fluorescently labeled anti- EGFR antibody can be used to detect and guide removal of microscopic regional and distant head and neck cancer metastasis. To test this hypothesis, we propose to systemically inject fluorescently labeled monoclonal anti-EGFR antibodies into immunodeficient mice bearing HNSCC cervical metastasis or pulmonary metastasis to determine the potential clinical utility of this technique. Experiments will be directed at determination of the sensitivity and specificity o the technique and estimation of the minimum volume of tumor detected by this method. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: We propose that optical imaging of cervical lymph nodes or pulmonary metastasis of head and neck cancer will significantly improve disease detection, favor minimally invasive surgical approaches, and improve patient outcomes. Using real time optical imaging after injection of a systemic tumor-specific contrast agent, we hypothesize that subclinical disease could be detected and removed.