title: Intravitreal alemtuzumab penetrates full-thickness retina in rabbit eyes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess whether alemtuzamab, a large antibody of 150 kDa, would be able to penetrate through the full-thickness retina of Dutch-belted rabbits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four Dutch-belted rabbits had intravitreal injections of alemtuzumab (1.5 mg in 0.05 mL). One rabbit each was killed at Day 1, Day 8, Day 15, and Day 29. The eyes were examined under frozen section and graded by immunostaining techniques for the degree of penetration of alemtuzumab into the retina. The degree of retinal staining was graded from 0 (no stain) to 4+ (marked stain).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All study eyes showed antibody staining of the full-thickness retina as follows: 4+ at Day 1, 4+ at Day 8, 3+ at Day 15, and 2+ at Day 29.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A 1.5-mg intravitreal dose of alemtuzumab was able to penetrate full-thickness retina throughout the full 29-day course of the study. Retinal toxicity studies are required before clinical use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Noha S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Ekdawi
authors.forename: Jose S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Pulido
authors.forename: Sujit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Itty
authors.forename: Ronald J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Marler
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Herman
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hardwig
authors.forename: Brian G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Mohney
authors.forename: Tibor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Valyi-Nagy
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shukla
mesh_terms: D000074323:Alemtuzumab; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D001692:Biological Transport; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism*; D014822:Vitreous Body
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000074323:Alemtuzumab