title: Efficacy of intrathecal immunotoxin therapy in an animal model of leptomeningeal neoplasia.
abstract: Immunotoxins comprise a new class of cell-type specific cytotoxic reagents which consist of a monoclonal antibody linked to a protein toxin. This report examines the efficacy of intrathecal immunotoxin therapy for the treatment of tumors of the cerebrospinal fluid compartment. A syngeneic animal model of leptomeningeal neoplasia was developed in which percutaneous inoculation of L2C tumor cells into the cisterna magna of Strain 2 guinea pigs produced disseminated leptomeningeal and intraventricular leukemia and death. Percutaneous intracisternal injection of 2 micrograms of an anti-idiotype monoclonal antibody (M6)-intact ricin immunotoxin 24 hours following intracisternal inoculation of 10(5) L2C cells (10,000 times the lethal dose) produced prolonged survival (p less than 0.005) of tumor-bearing animals. The immunotoxin therapy caused no detectable toxicity. Intracisternal injection of either M6 monoclonal antibody alone or a nonspecific control immunotoxin had no therapeutic effect. The observed extension of survival times in immunotoxin-treated animals corresponds to a median 2- to 3-log (99% to 99.9%) and, in some animals, possibly a 5-log (99.999%) or greater kill of tumor cells. These results support a possible role for immunotoxins in the clinical treatment of central nervous system neoplastic disease involving compartments (intrathecal, intraventricular, or cystic tumor).
authors.affiliation: Surgical Neurology Branch, National Institutes of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zovickian
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Youle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D000922:Immunotoxins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012276:Ricin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000922:Immunotoxins; D012276:Ricin