Thomas J. McKearn

Radioimmunodetection of solid tumors. Future horizons and applications for radioimmunotherapy.

Seventeen years after the development of hybridoma technology, the clinical utility of radioimmunodetection of solid tumors using monoclonal antibody‐based imaging agents has been definitively established. As expected, these first immunoscintigraphy agents demonstrate certain limitations (most notably, suboptimal tumor‐to‐background radiolocalization ratios and immunogenicity), suggesting that the full potential of this technology has not been realized. This article reviews research strategies for optimizing the imaging performance of radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies. Promising approaches include the development of humanized tumor‐targeting vehicles, improved chelator technology to link the antibody and the radioisotope, the use of smaller immunoreactive targeting agents, modifications of the tumor or host determinants of antibody biodistribution, regional delivery of immunoscintigraphic agents, use of antibody “cocktails,” and advances in image acquisition technology. The successful application of these strategies should lead to improved agents for tumor radioimmunodetection. The results of these research efforts should be useful in developing radiolabeled monoclonal antibody‐based agents for solid tumor therapy.

Site-specifically modified 111In labelled antibodies give low liver backgrounds and improved radioimmunoscintigraphy

Site-specific modification of monoclonal antibodies at their oligosaccharide had previously been demonstrated to produce excellent 111In imaging in a xenograft model using a Brown Norway (BN) rat lymphoma and a rat anti-BN MHC monoclonal antibody [Lee C. et al. Fed. Proc. Abstr. 43 3014 (1984)]. These results are due, in part, to lack of liver uptake, so we wanted to evaluate the extent of hepatic uptake observed with different monoclonal antibodies in normal mice. Biodistribution data were obtained for four monoclonal antibodies by first modifying each antibody at its carbohydrate with a diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) derivative. The antibodies were then labelled with 111In and injected into normal mice. Images were obtained 24 h post-injection, and at 48 h the mice were dissected and the tissue-to-blood (T:B) ratios determined. T:B ratios were approximately 1 (or less) for every organ evaluated, indicating minimal non-specific uptake into these organs. Data is also presented for the BN-rat system which shows excellent localization into the tumor xenograft and low non-specific organ uptake. These data indicate that modification of antibodies site-specifically at their oligosaccharide results in minimal non-specific uptake into non-target tissues and enhanced localization into the tumor target, and that this may represent a preferred method for production of 111In labelled antibodies.