Direct binding of radioiodinated monoclonal antibody to tumor cells: significance of antibody purity and affinity for drug targeting or tumor imaging

For MoAb to be used efficiently for drug targeting and tumor imaging, the fraction of antibody binding to tumor cells must be maximized. We have studied the binding of 125I MoAb in three different tumor systems. The fraction of antibody that could be bound to the cell surface was directly proportional to the antibody purity. The affinity constant also limits the fraction of antibody that can bind to cells at a given antigen concentration. Rearrangement of the standard expression for univalent equilibrium binding between two reactants shows that in antigen excess, the maximum fraction of antibody that can bind (formula; see text). Binding data using four different MoAb with three cell systems confirm this relationship. Estimates for reasonable concentrations of tumor antigens in vivo indicate that antibodies with binding constants less than 10(8) M-1 are not likely to be useful for drug targeting or tumor imaging