Optimal cytoreduction for ovarian
cancer is often challenging because
of aggressive tumor biology and advanced stage. It is a critical issue
since the extent of residual disease after surgery is the key predictor
of ovarian cancer patient survival. For a limited number of cancers,
fluorescence-guided surgery has emerged as an effective aid for tumor
delineation and effective cytoreduction. The intravenously administered
fluorescent agent, most commonly indocyanine green (ICG), accumulates
preferentially in tumors, which are visualized under a fluorescent
light source to aid surgery. Insufficient tumor specificity has limited
the broad application of these agents in surgical oncology including
for ovarian cancer. In this study, we developed a novel tumor-selective
fluorescent agent by chemically linking ICG to mouse monoclonal antibody
10D7 that specifically recognizes an ovarian cancer-enriched cell
surface receptor, CUB-domain-containing protein 1 (CDCP1). 10D7ICG has high affinity for purified recombinant CDCP1 and CDCP1
that is located on the surface of ovarian cancer cells in vitro and
in vivo. Our results show that intravenously administered 10D7ICG accumulates preferentially in ovarian cancer, permitting
visualization of xenograft tumors in mice. The data suggest CDCP1
as a rational target for tumor-specific fluorescence-guided surgery
for ovarian cancer.