Therapeutic efficacy of external beam radiotherapy combined with anti-PD-L1 inhibition in a preclinical syngeneic head and neck cancer model.

ABSTRACT: Treating high-grade head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has recently combined immunotherapy with conventional therapies. However, optimizing the scheduling of anti-PD-L1 with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) requires further research to improve efficacies.

Methods

In vitro, MTCQ1, MOCL1, and MOCL2 murine HNSCC cell responses to 2 Gy x 6 X-ray EBRT were assessed in metabolic, clonogenic and γH2AX assays. Ex vivo, syngeneic tumors in C57BL/6 mice were stained for haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immune cell infiltration. Combination therapeutic in vivo studies using MTCQ1 tumors treated with 2 Gy x 6 or 8 Gy x 1 EBRT with sequential and/or concurrent dosing with anti-PD-L1 were also performed.

Results

MTCQ1 cells exhibited the most marked re

SUBMITTER: Banu A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12550321 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature