Optimising the radioimmunotherapy of malignant disease: the broadening choice of carrier and effector moieties.
The treatment of cancer by radioimmunotherapy remains an experimental approach successful only in a limited number of selected disease conditions. One ground for optimism over the future of radioimmunotherapy lies in the fact that where cures have been obtained it has been despite the design of the immunoconjugate rather than because of it. As the choice of available functional components for conjugate construction increases, the process of evaluation and optimisation is underway. The replacement of the commonly used 131I with radionuclides possessing radiation characteristics more suited to particular disease states, and tailored to the behaviour of the carrier vehicle, should bring improved energy deposition within tumour while reducing whole body radiation burden. Similarly, the introduction of chemically or genetically engineered targeting molecules in place of conventional antibodies may bring improved pharmacokinetic characteristics and higher tumour accumulation. Optimisation of the therapeutic and carrier moieties employed in radioimmunotherapy should bring distinct improvements in clinical efficacy.
D000818:Animals; D004337:Drug Carriers; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016499:Radioimmunotherapy / Q000379:methods*
D004337:Drug Carriers