Dosimetry and microdosimetry of radiolabeled antibodies

Radionuclide labeled antibodies have drawn great interest for over three decades due to their potential clinical usefulness in localizing and treating neoplastic diseases. It was shown that radiolabeled antibodies against antigens expressed on tumor cells could be utilized for localization of tumors. Encouraging results were observed in clinical situations with 131I-labeled antisera to human fibrinogen. Development of the hybridoma technique for production of monoclonal antibodies was a significant advancement. The author discusses how relatively low uptake of specific antibodies in tumors following intravenous administration is a major limitation in clinical studies. Because of the radiation sensitivity, bone marrow seems to be the critical organ in therapeutic applications. Interventional approaches to increase the efficacy of radionuclide therapy should be considered in these situations