Immunological Effect of Anti-Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Antibodies in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (HNSCC): the Present and the Future

Denaro Nerina, Elvio Grazio

Abstract

Targeted therapy with anti Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs) offers the potential to improve outcomes in HNSCC. EGFR is over-expressed in 80 to 90% of HNSCC and leads to tumor cell proliferation and invasion. HNSCC is an immunogenic disease, it has a multiplicity of non-mutually exclusive mechanisms of immune suppression (e.g., reduction CD8+ cell influx and altered function of intra-tumoral CD4+ cells). Monoclonal Abs possess the potential advantage of recruiting immune effector mechanisms, such as complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), as additional mechanisms of tumor cell killing. However immunotherapy with the EGFR-specific mAb Cetuximab is clinically effective in 10-20% of patients. There is a need to further understand the immunological mechanism of the mAbs to optimize the design of a target-based immunotherapy.