Production and Verification of Anti-Tumor Activity of Monoclonal Anti-EGFR-Recombinant PE38 Immunotoxin in A431 Tumor Cells

Background: Tumor growth and progression depend largely on the activity of cell membrane receptors like epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). This receptor plays a significant role in the growth and survival of many solid tumors. Its biological feature makes it a highly appealing target for cancer treatment. On the other hand, immunotherapy is an efficient approach in cancer treatment, and immunotoxins have a predominant position herein. Thus, this approach can be used in high EGFR-expressed cancer therapy. Methods: In this study, the production of monoclonal anti-EGFR-recombinant PE38 was used as the special treatment against EGFR-activated cancers. For this purpose, the A431 cell line originating from a squamous carcinoma was used. In order the production of this immunotoxin, the toxin was conjugated with an antibody by chemical method. To confirm conjugation and its purity, SDS-PAGE was performed by immunotoxin electrophoresis. Then, the antitumor effects of immunotoxin in the induction of apoptosis of tumoral cells were assessed by the ELISA method. Results: The conjugation and purity of immunotoxin were confirmed by immunotoxin electrophoresis. Also, the ELISA results indicate that the produced immunotoxin induced 62% antigen-specific apoptosis (P <0.0001) in tumoral cells compared to the control cells. Conclusion: To conclude, our study provides a promising therapeutic approach against EGFR-associated cancers and our individual immunotoxin can be used in the treatment of tumors with membranous EGFR.