Advances in cancer imaging and therapy with radiolabelled antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies made against a variety of cancer-associated antigens have been labelled with gamma-emitting radionuclides, such as 99m-Tc, and used in vivo for cancer imaging. This approach has complemented other radiological methods, such as computed tomography, and revealed occult lesions in various sites, thus contributing to patient management. The conjugation of therapeutic radionuclides (Auger electrons), beta and alpha-emitters) has resulted in experimental and clinical evidence of cancer radioimmunotherapy (RAIT). RAIT has proved to be more difficult endeavour than cancer radioimmunodetection. At present, the best clinical results of RAIT have been observed in patients with radiosensitive lymphatic neoplasms, even at low doses of radiation and MAb. Advances in antibody specificity, radionuclide conjugation, antibody re-engineering to reduce immunogenicity, antibody uptake, and the reduction of myelotoxicity should increase the potential of cancer RAIT. (author). 60 refs.; 1 tab