Expression of tumor-associated glycoantigen, sialyl Lewis(a), in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and its application to tumor immunotherapy.

The glycoantigen sialyl Lewis(a) (sLe(a)) is widely expressed on a variety of gastrointestinal tumor cells. Here, we immunohistochemically demonstrated the expression of sLe(a) antigen in 54% (7 out of 13) of human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (H-NSCC) samples. Frequent expression of sLe(a antigen was also demonstrated on a variety of H-NSCC cell lines using flow cytometry. Both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, which were activated with immobilized OKT3 monoclonal antibody plus interleukin-2, showed augmented cytotoxicity against sLe(a)-positive H-NSCC, including autologous tumor cells, on targeting with anti-CD3 x anti-sLe(a) bispecific antibody, suggesting that sLe(a) antigen is a good target molecule for bispecific antibody-dependent adoptive tumor immunotherapy of human head and neck cancer.

head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

sialyl Lewisa

monoclonal antibody

bispecific antibody

interleukin