Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Research Reagents

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) encompasses cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx, affecting approximately 900,000 people annually worldwide. HPV-positive (predominantly p16+) oropharyngeal cancers represent a distinct entity with superior prognosis compared to HPV-negative, tobacco/alcohol-associated tumors. Pembrolizumab and nivolumab (anti-PD-1) are now standard of care for recurrent/metastatic HNSCC, with PD-L1 CPS guiding first-line treatment selection.

Research Use Only (RUO)Not intended for diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Research Reagents - key pathogenic pathways and research targets

Fig. 1 Key pathogenic pathways and research targets in HNSCC. HPV-driven and HPV-independent oncogenic mechanisms with immune checkpoint and EGFR therapeutic axes. abinScience product targets highlighted in orange.

abinScience provides validated antibodies, recombinant proteins, and ELISA kits for key HNSCC research targets. All products are manufactured by our parent company AtaGenix Laboratories under ISO quality systems. Browse products below or contact us for custom antibody development.

Key Research Targets

PD-L1 (CD274) — PD-L1 combined positive score (CPS) is the primary biomarker for pembrolizumab eligibility in HNSCC. Anti-PD-L1 antibodies support CPS validation, tumor-immune cell co-expression studies, and checkpoint combination therapy research in both HPV-positive and HPV-negative subtypes.
→ Browse PD-L1 antibodies & proteins

p16INK4a (CDKN2A) — p16 overexpression serves as a surrogate marker for high-risk HPV infection in oropharyngeal SCC, with major prognostic and staging implications. Anti-p16 antibodies enable IHC-based HPV status determination — the standard clinical approach for oropharyngeal cancer classification and treatment de-escalation research.
→ Browse p16 antibodies

EGFR (HER1) — EGFR is overexpressed in >90% of HNSCC and is the target for cetuximab. Anti-EGFR antibodies support expression quantification, cetuximab binding competition studies, and EGFR-mediated signaling pathway research including MAPK and STAT3 activation in squamous cell carcinoma.
→ Browse EGFR antibodies & proteins

References

1. Burtness B, et al. Pembrolizumab alone or with chemotherapy versus cetuximab with chemotherapy in recurrent or metastatic HNSCC (KEYNOTE-048). Lancet. 2019;394(10212):1915-1928. DOI

2. Ferris RL, et al. Nivolumab for recurrent squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck. N Engl J Med. 2016;375(19):1856-1867. DOI

3. The Cancer Genome Atlas Network. Comprehensive genomic characterization of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Nature. 2015;517(7536):576-582. DOI

4. Chow LQM. Head and neck cancer. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(1):60-72. DOI

5. Ang KK, et al. Human papillomavirus and survival of patients with oropharyngeal cancer. N Engl J Med. 2010;363(1):24-35. DOI