Anticancer Effects of Fusion Protein CAtin on DMBA-induced Carcinogenesis in Buccal Pouch of Chinese Hamster

Aberrant expression of carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA) is a common feature for multiple types of cancer, which makes it an attractive target for anticancer therapy. CAtin is a novel dual cancer-specific fusion protein, composed of an anti-CEA single-chain disulfide-stabilized Fv antibody(scdsFv) and Apoptin, a tumor-specific apoptosis-inducing protein. Oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC) is an important healthcare problem in the clinic. To evaluate the anticancer effects of CAtin on OSCC, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene(DMBA) was used to induce oral carcinogenesis and premalignant lesions in the buccal pouch of Chinese hamster, and the antitumor effects of CAtin were determined in pre-cancer, cancer and post-operatative cancer models, respectively. The results show that the administration of CAtin delayed the malignant transformation of early stage cancerous lesions, inhibited the growth of established solid oral tumors and reduced the post-operatative relapse of lesions, with no significant systemic toxicity. This study demonstrates that CAtin may have potential for the treatment of OSCC, and the development of preventive strategies based on CAtin may offer a practical approach for the treatment of human oral tumors.