Volume 38, Issue 4 pp. 542-549
Original Article

Multimodal imaging analysis of an orthotopic head and neck cancer mouse model and application of anti-CD137 tumor immune therapy

Anne-Kristin Vahle MD

Corresponding Author

Anne-Kristin Vahle MD

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany

Corresponding author: A.-K. Vahle, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
Sven Hermann MD

Sven Hermann MD

European Institute for Molecular Imaging, University of Münster, Münster, Germany

Search for more papers by this author
Michael Schäfers MD

Michael Schäfers MD

European Institute for Molecular Imaging, University of Münster, Münster, Germany

Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Germany

Cluster of Excellence EXC 1003 “CiM – Cells in Motion,”, University of Münster, Münster, Germany

Search for more papers by this author
Michael Wildner

Michael Wildner

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany

Search for more papers by this author
Alexander Kerem MD

Alexander Kerem MD

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany

Search for more papers by this author
Ender Öztürk MD

Ender Öztürk MD

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany

Search for more papers by this author
Maria Jure–Kunkel PhD

Maria Jure–Kunkel PhD

Bristol–Myers Squibb Company, New York, New York

Search for more papers by this author
Cindy Franklin MD

Cindy Franklin MD

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany

Search for more papers by this author
Stephan Lang MD

Stephan Lang MD

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany

Search for more papers by this author
Sven Brandau PhD

Sven Brandau PhD

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany

Search for more papers by this author
First published: 06 December 2014
Citations: 12

Conflict of interest: Maria Jure-Kunkel is an employee at Bristol Myers Squibb. Bristol Myers Squibb owns stock of anti-CD137 antibody. All other authors have no conflict of interests.

Abstract

Background

Recent technical progress makes sophisticated noninvasive imaging methods available for murine models. For the first time, in this study, we applied fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)-CT and FDG-PET-MRI to a murine orthotopic model of head and neck cancer immunotherapy.

Methods

Tumor growth of floor of the mouth tumors was evaluated by multimodal small-animal imaging using FDG-PET-CT and FDG-PET-MRI. The immunotherapeutic effects of anti-CD137 antibody therapy were examined on body weight, tumor growth, and tumor-infiltrating immune cells in longitudinal imaging studies and immunohistochemical analyses.

Results

Imaging revealed aggressive, fast-growing tumors without evidence of local or distant metastases. CD137 immunotherapy decreased tumor take and growth and stabilized body weight over time. A clear case of tumor regression was demonstrated by longitudinal PET-CT.

Conclusion

The murine model mimics the characteristics of head and neck cancer in humans and offers excellent opportunities to investigate immunomodulatory anticancer drugs. The CD137 antibody showed antitumor effects in some therapy-responsive mice. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: 542–549, 2016

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.