Bifunctional aryliodonium salts for highly efficient radioiodination and astatination of antibodies.

In this report we describe the development of an alternative approach to arylstannane chemistry for radiolabeling antibodies with radioiodine or astatine based on aryliodonium salts precursors. Bifunctional aryliodonium salts were designed and tested for the synthesis of 125I and 211At labeled prosthetic groups for bioconjugation. The nature of the electron rich aryl group was varied and its impact on the regioselectivity of radiohalogenation was evaluated. Unexpectedly, whereas the 2-thienyl group provided the best regioselectivity towards the radioiodination of the aryl moiety of interest (98:2), it was less selective for astatination (87:13); the anisyl group providing the best regioselectivity of astatination (94:6). Under optimized conditions, both radioiodination and astatination could be performed very efficiently in mild conditions (radiochemical yields>85%). The ionic nature of the precursors was exploited to develop an efficient purification approach: the HPLC step that is usually necessary in conventionnal approaches to optimize removal of organotin toxic precursors and side products was replaced by a filtration through a silica cartridge with a significantly reduced loss of radiolabeled product. The purified radioiodinated and astatinated prosthetic groups were then conjugated efficiently to an anti-CD138 monoclonal antibody (75-80% conjugation yield). By using this novel and simple radiohalogenation procedure, higher overall radiochemical yields of astatination were obtained in comparison with the use of an arylstannane precursor and procedures of the litterature for labeling the same antibody. Overall, due to their simplicity of use and high robustness, these new precursors should simplify the labeling of proteins of interest with iodine and astatine radioisotopes for imaging and therapeutic applications.

Investigation of the complexation of natZr(iv) and 89Zr(iv) by hydroxypyridinones for the development of chelators for PET imaging applications.

Three hydroxypyridinone (HOPO) positional isomers - 1,2-HOPO (L1H) and its water soluble analogue (L1'H), 3,2-HOPO (L2H) and 3,4-HOPO (L3H) have been investigated for the complexation of Zr(iv). Potentiometric and UV-Vis spectrometric studies show a higher thermodynamic stability for the formation of Zr(L1')4 in comparison with Zr(L2)4 and Zr(L3)4 as well as a higher kinetic inertness in competition studies with EDTA or Fe3+ at a radiotracer concentration with 89Zr. Besides the low pKa of L1H or L1'H (pKa = 5.01) in comparison with L2H and L3H (pKa = 8.83 and 9.55, respectively), the higher stability of Zr(L1')4 can be attributed in part to the presence of the amide group next to the chelating oxygen that induces intramolecular H-bond and amide/π interactions that were observed by X-ray crystallography and confirmed by quantum chemical calculations. The data presented here indicate that the 1,2-HOPO L1' exhibits the best characteristics for Zr(iv) complexation. However, 3,2-HOPO and 3,4-HOPO patterns, if appropriately tuned, for instance with the addition of an amide group as in the 1,2-HOPO ligand, may also become interesting alternatives for the design of Zr(iv) chelators with improved characteristics for applications in nuclear imaging with 89Zr.

Influence of pegylation and hapten location at the surface of radiolabelled liposomes on tumour immunotargeting using bispecific antibody.

INTRODUCTION: This paper proposes liposomes as a potential new tool for radioimmunotherapy in solid tumours with a two step targeting system. Tumour pretargeting is obtained by using a monoclonal bispecific antibody (BsmAb, anti CEA x anti-DTPA-In) and pegylated liposomes containing lipid-hapten (DSPE-DTPA-In or DSPE-PEG-DTPA-In). To optimise at the same time in vivo behaviour and specific targeting, the study focuses on the liposome formulation in order to determine more precisely the role of pegylation on both the blood half-life and the specific recognition with the BsmAb. METHODS: Different liposome formulations containing two PEG length (1000 and 2000) in varying amount (1.5-6 mol%) were prepared with DTPA directly coupled to DSPE or at the end of the PEG chain (DSPE-DTPA or DSPE-PEG-DTPA). Liposomes were immobilized on an L1 chip to measure by SPR (Surface Plasmon Resonance) the effect of pegylation on the BsmAb recognition of the DTPA-In hapten. Pharmacokinetic studies were performed in mice. Tumour targeting was studied in nude mice xenografted with human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells that express CEA, and doubly radiolabelled liposomes (with (111)In and (125)I) injected 24h after the BsmAb. RESULTS: The best in vitro apparent dissociation constant was obtained with liposomes bearing DTPA at the end of the PEG chain (KD=6.3 nM), which showed significant specific tumour uptake after BsmAb injection (8.6 ± 2.4% ID/g at 24h versus 4.5 ± 0.5%ID/g for passive targeting, α=0.01). All tumour/organ ratios were superior to 1 at 24h for this formulation, except for the spleen. CONCLUSION: The feasibility of specific tumour targeting in mice with a BsmAb and radiolabelled liposomes was demonstrated and the interest of SPR to predict their targeting performance in vivo was highlighted. This original and new approach provides promising prospects for the radioimmunotherapy of solid tumours.

Doubly radiolabeled liposomes for pretargeted radioimmunotherapy.

The aim of this study was to design liposomes as radioactivity carriers for pretargeted radioimmunotherapy with favorable pharmacokinetic parameters. To monitor the liposomes integrity in vivo, their surface was radiolabeled with indium-111 bound to DTPA-derivatized phosphatidylethanolamine (DSPE-DTPA) and the aqueous phase was labeled by using an original active loading technique of radioiodinated Bolton-Hunter reagent (BH) that reacts with pre-encapsulated arginine to form a positively charged conjugate ((125)I-BH-arginine). Different formulations of doubly radiolabeled liposomes were tested in vitro and in vivo to evaluate radiolabeling stability, integrity of the vesicles and their pharmacokinetics. Radiolabeling yields were high (surface >75%, encapsulation >60%) and stable (>85% after 24 h in serum 37 degrees C). In vivo, the pharmacokinetic behavior of doubly radiolabeled liposomes was strongly dependant on the formulation. Blood clearance of PEGylated liposomes (DSPC/Chol/DSPE-DTPA/DSPE-PEG5%) was 0.15 mL/h compared to a conventional formulation (DSPC/Chol/DSPE-DTPA: clearance 1.44 mL/h). Non-encapsulated BH-arginine conjugate was quickly eliminated in urine (clearance 6.04 mL/h). Blood kinetics of the two radionuclides were similar and radiochromatographic profiles of mice serum confirmed the integrity of circulating liposomes. The significant reduction of activity uptake in organs after liposome catabolism (liver and spleen), achieved by the rapid renal elimination of (125)I-BH-arginine, should bring significant improvements for targeted radionuclide therapy with sterically-stabilized liposomes.

Radiolabeling and targeting of lipidic nanocapsules for applications in radioimmunotherapy.

AIM: Radioimmunotherapy is limited in some cases by the low radioactive doses delivered to tumor cells by antibodies or pretargeted haptens. In order to increase this dose, lipidic nanocapsules (LNC) with a hydrophobic core are proposed as radionuclide vectors that could be targeted to cancer cells by a bispecific anti-tumor x anti-hapten antibody after incorporation of different haptens in the nanocapsule membrane. METHODS: To bind different radionuclides to the nanocapsules, several bifunctional chelating agents (BCA) were used to form stable complexes with the radionuclides. Some of them are hydrophilic for LNC shell while others are lipophilic to radiolabel the core. Poly(ethylene glycols) (PEG) were used to increase the residence time in blood. Since PEG can modify haptens recognition by the bispecific antibody and radiolabeling efficiency, haptens, BCA or Bolton-Hunter reagent (BH) were attached to the PEG extremity to optimize accessibility. Specific constructs (DSPE-PEG-haptens, DSPE-PEG-BCA, and DSPE-PEG-BH) were synthesized to develop these new radiolabeled vector formulations. Large amounts of PEG have been introduced by a postinsertion method without important change in nanocapsule size and properties. The nanocapsule core was radiolabeled with a lipophilic [(99m)Tc]SSS complex. RESULTS: Serum stability studies showed that this (99m)Tc-labeling method was efficient for at least 20 h. Concerning the nanocapsule surface, several methods have been performed for (111)In-labeling by using DSPE-PEG-DTPA and for (125)I-labeling with DSPE-PEG-BH. CONCLUSIONS: The nanocapsules labeling feasibility with a variety of radionuclides and their stability were demonstrated in this paper.

Synthesis of new bivalent peptides for applications in the Affinity Enhancement System.

The feasibility of two-step radioimmunotherapy (RIT) of cancer by the Affinity Enhancement System (AES) has been demonstrated in experimental and clinical studies. This technique, associating a bispecific antibody and a bivalent peptide radiolabeled with iodine-131, has been developed to reduce toxicity and to improve therapeutic efficacy compared to one-step targeting methods. The use of AES with different beta-emitters such as rhenium-188, samarium-153, or lutetium-177 or alpha-emitters such as actinium-225 or bismuth-213 is now considered. Thus three new peptides, designed to allow for the coupling of a variety of bifunctional chelating agents BCA, were synthesized by associating two glycyl-succinyl-histamine (GSH) arms, which are recognized by the 679 monoclonal antibody (mAb-679), with different binding agents, such as p-nitrophenylalanine or N,N-bis(carboxymethyl)-4-N'-(9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl)aminobenzylamine. Immunoreactivity and serum stability evaluation were performed for each synthesized peptide. One of the three peptides (LM218) proved to be more stable than the others, and three different BCAs were coupled to LM218 (CITC-DTPA, CITC-TTHA, and CITC-CHXA''DTPA). One of these products, LM218-BzTTHA was radiolabeled with indium-111 without loss of immunoreactivity toward the mAb-679. These new peptides will allow pretargeted RIT with a large variety of radionuclides, to adapt the choice of the radionuclide (LET, half-life, penetrating emission) to the nature and size of targeted tumors.

Two-step targeting of xenografted colon carcinoma using a bispecific antibody and 188Re-labeled bivalent hapten: biodistribution and dosimetry studies.

UNLABELLED: Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) is currently being considered for the treatment of solid tumors. Although results have been encouraging for pretargeted 131I RIT with the affinity enhancement system (AES), the radionuclide used is not optimal because of its long half-life, strong gamma emission, poor specific activity, and low beta particle energy. 188Re, though unsuitable for direct antibody labeling, could be used with the AES two-step targeting technique. The purpose of this study was to compare the distribution and dosimetry of a bivalent hapten labeled with 188Re or 125I. For dosimetry calculations and biodistribution data, 125I was substituted for 131I. METHODS: After preliminary injection of a bispecific anticarcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) or antihapten antibody (Bs-mAb F6-679), AG 8.1 or AG 8.0 hapten radiolabeled with 188Re or 125I was injected into a nude mouse model grafted subcutaneously with a human colon carcinoma cell line (LS-174-T) expressing CEA. A dosimetry study was performed for each animal from the concentration of radioactivity in tumor and different tissues. RESULTS: Radiolabeling of AG 8.1 with 125I afforded a 40% yield with a specific activity of 11.1 MBq/nmol after purification. Radiolabeling of AG 8.0 with 188Re afforded a 72% yield with a specific activity of 31.82 MBq/nmol. In all experiments, the percentage of tumor uptake of 125I-AG 8.1 was always significantly greater than that of 188Re-AG 8.0. The corresponding tumor-to-tissue ratios reflected uptake values. The least favorable tumor-to-normal tissue ratios in the dosimetry study were 8.1 and 8.5 for 131I (tumor-to-blood ratio and tumor-to-kidney ratio, respectively) and 2.3 for 188Re (tumor-to-intestine ratio). CONCLUSION: This study indicates that 188Re can be used for radiolabeling of hapten in two-step radioimmunotherapy protocols with the AES technique. 188Re has a greater range than 131I, which should allow the treatment of solid tumors around 1 cm in diameter. Although the method used for hapten radiolabeling did not provide optimal tumor uptake, the use of a bifunctional chelating agent associated with AG 8.1 should solve this problem.

Pre-clinical and clinical studies of two new bifunctional chelating agents for immunoscintigraphy with 111In-anti-CEA monoclonal antibody.

Anti-CEA F(ab')2 monoclonal antibody fragments [F6 MAb F(ab')2] were conjugated to two bifunctional semi-rigid chelating agents derived from trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane tetraacetic acid (CDTA), the monolithium salt of N-[methyl(2-isothiocyanatoethyl)carbamide] trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N',N'-triacetic acid (SCN), and 4 isothiocyanato-trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (4-ICE) and labelled with 111In to obtain IIIIn-labelled-F6 MAb F(ab')2 conjugates (111In-F6-SCN and 111In-F6-4-ICE respectively). Biodistribution in mice and clinical studies were undertaken to assess the potential of these two ligands in the detection of colorectal adenocarcinoma recurrences and metastases in humans. Toxicity studies were carried out on guinea pigs and Swiss mice injected with a dose proportionally 100 times greater than that used in human studies. Clinical studies were performed in patients with clinically and/or biologically suspected adenocarcinoma recurrences. No immunoconjugate-induced toxicity was found. The biodistribution studies in mice gave better visualization of tumour sites with 111In-F6-SCN and 111In-F6-4-ICE than with 111In-F6-DTPA. Ten patients were included in the clinical protocol. 111In-F6-SCN and 111In-F6-4-ICE effectively visualized adenocarcinoma recurrences. However, in this small series, 111In-F6-4-ICE performed somewhat better than 111In-F6-SCN. The present study has demonstrated the potential of new bifunctional semi-rigid chelating agents coupled to antibody and labelled with 111In to localize recurrences (especially in liver) in humans using a one-step targeting method.

Introduction of five potentially metabolizable linking groups between 111In-cyclohexyl EDTA derivatives and F(ab')2 fragments of anti-carcinoembryonic antigen antibody--I. A new reproducible synthetic method.

The purpose of this study was to synthesize new bifunctional linker-chelating agents for the modification of the in vivo distribution of 111In-labeled antibodies. A general simple synthetic method of preparing cyclohexyl EDTA (CDTA) derivatives containing a linker/spacer group is described. Linkers prepared included a diester, a six carbon aliphatic chain, two thioethers and a disulfide group. The CDTA-linker compounds were coupled to F(Ab')2 fragments of anti-carcinoembryonic antigen monoclonal antibody and labeled with 111In with good retention of immunoreactivity.

Introduction of five potentially metabolizable linking groups between 111In-cyclohexyl EDTA derivatives and F(ab')2 fragments of anti-carcinoembryonic antigen antibody--II. Comparative pharmacokinetics and biodistribution in human colorectal carcinoma-bearing nude mice.

The five linker-containing immunoconjugates described in the preceding paper were labeled with 111In and tested for their biodistribution, pharmacokinetics and immunoscintigraphic imaging properties in tumor-xenografted nude mice. The results were compared with DTPADA and CDTAMA for reference. Results showed that, for immunoscintigraphy, the derivatives in decreasing order of effectiveness were: aliphatic (tumor/liver > 4.5 and tumor/kidney > 6.5 at 96 h), thioether (tumor/liver > 3 and tumor/kidney > 1.2 at 24 h), ethylene glycol succinate (tumor/liver > 1.7 and tumor/kidney > 0.5 at 24 h) and disulfide (tumor/liver > 0.5 and tumor/kidney > 0.6 at 96 h). Pharmacokinetic results were complementary with those of the biodistribution studies and provide a basis for the study of in vivo metabolic mechanisms of linker-immunoconjugates. Indium-111-labeled linker-immunoconjugates appear promising for tumor imaging with better contrast than what is obtained with the use of the conventional 111In-DTPA dianhydride chelate.

Biodistribution of anti-CEA F(ab')2 fragments conjugated with chelating polymers: influence of conjugate electron charge on tumor uptake and blood clearance.

F(ab')2 fragments of anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) monoclonal antibody (mAb) were modified with three chain-terminal polylysine-based chelating polymers so as to carry different electron charges. Immunoreactive conjugates labeled with 111In up to a specific radioactivity of 120-140 microCi/micrograms were injected into nude mice bearing human colorectal carcinoma, and the biodistribution patterns were compared with each other and with that of an anti-CEA F(ab')2-DTPA control. Immunoconjugate modified with positively-charged polymer produced the highest tumor uptake [up to 20% injected dose per gram (ID/g)], with very significant non-specific radioactivity in normal organs (particularly kidneys). When modified with a polymer carrying only a slight negative charge, the immunoconjugate also produced fairly high tumor uptake (up to 18% ID/g), with much lower non-specific radioactivity in normal organs. Highly negatively-charged conjugate produced the lowest tumor uptake (up to 8% ID/g), whereas blood and whole-body clearances were the fastest but slower than those of conventionally labeled F(ab')2 mAb. The possible mechanisms for the effects described are discussed.

Site-specific conjugation of chain-terminal chelating polymers to Fab' fragments of anti-CEA mAb: effect of linkage type and polymer size on conjugate biodistribution in nude mice bearing human colorectal carcinoma.

Polylysine-based chelating polymers were used for site-specific modification of anti-CEA mAb Fab' fragments via their SH group distal to the antigen-binding site of the antibody molecule. Conjugation was performed using chain-terminal (pyridyldithio)propionate or 4-(p-maleimidophenyl)butyrate moieties to form reducible (S-S) or stable (S-C) bonds between a polymer and Fab' molecule, respectively. One S-S conjugate (S-S9) and two different S-C conjugates (S-C3 and S-C9) were prepared using 3- and 9-kDa molecular weight polymers. No significant loss of immunoreactivity was observed in solid-phase immunoassay, 90-95% of 111In-labeled conjugates being bound to CEA-coated Sepharose beads. After labeling with 111In, the conjugates had a specific radioactivity of 90-120 microCi/micrograms. Injected in nude mice bearing LS 174T carcinoma, the conjugates produced different biodistribution patterns. S-S9 was practically unable to accumulate in tumor and produced very rapid blood clearance of radioactivity and high uptake of radioactivity in liver, spleen, and especially kidneys (225% ID/g 24 h postinjection). S-C3 and S-C9 produced practically the same blood clearances (much slower than that of S-S9) and significant tumor uptake (9-10% ID/g at 24 h). S-C3 gave significantly lower radioactivity in spleen, skin, and bones, and cleared more rapidly from liver and kidneys. Renal uptake for S-C3 and S-C9 was rather high (45% ID/g at 24 h), but much lower than for S-S9.

Use of multi-cell spheroids of ovarian carcinoma as an intraperitoneal radio-immunotherapy model: uptake, retention kinetics and dosimetric evaluation.

The purpose of this study, using multi-cell spheroids as an in vitro model of micrometastases of ovarian carcinoma for i.p. radio-immunotherapy, was to measure the uptake and retention kinetics of 111In-labeled F(ab')2 fragments of OC125 monoclonal antibody (MAb) in spheroids of the NIH:OVCAR-3 cell line and to estimate absorbed doses with beta-emitting radionuclides (kinetics was assumed to be similar to that of indium-111). With 0.2-mm-diameter spheroids at different MAb concentrations the highest binding value was determined. Retention kinetics showed a biological half-life of 50 hr. These data were used to calculate absorbed doses by integration of Berger's latest-point kernels. Mean absorbed doses when spatial distribution was considered to be uniform at the surface (no penetration) or throughout the spheroid (total penetration) were, respectively, 247 and 417 Gy with 153Sm, and 90 and 135 Gy with 90Y. Thus, the use of a similar MAb concentration and specific activity in patients should lead to high absorbed doses in i.p. radio-immunotherapy of micrometastases.

Does immunoscintigraphy serve clinical needs effectively? Is there a future for radioimmunotherapy?

Since 1980, immunoscintigraphy has been performed in thousands of patients, and its clinical value has been demonstrated for selective indications in malignant (early detection of recurrences of colorectal and ovarian carcinomas) and non-malignant (cardiovascular and inflammatory) pathology. However, many clinicians are not yet very convinced of its efficiency. Opinions range between favourable interest and marked scepticism. The causes of this inconclusive verdict include an often moderate target-to-background ratio in images, the immunogenicity of injected murine antibodies and the fact that a true benefit for the patient has not yet been clearly demonstrated in large series of patients. Future prospects could significantly improve this and involve the reduction of non-specific activity in normal tissues (to improve disease target contrast and thus make image interpretation easier) and the decreased immunogenicity of injected immunoconjugates (to permit repetition of examinations). Radioimmunotherapy, an innovative and promising approach, is still limited by numerous problems. The results of clinical studies are still inconclusive, being encouraging only for specific indications. In the future, pre-targetting techniques should allow the rapid elimination of radioactivity from normal tissues, resulting in a significant increase in tumour-to-normal tissue ratios. Progress is also required in the choice of radionuclides and labelling techniques and in methods for dosimetric estimations. The clinical indications of radioimmunotherapy after systemic injection will concern mainly radiosensitive tumours such as lymphomas, small-cell lung cancers and neuroblastomas. After endocavitary injection, radioimmunotherapy could prove efficient in the treatment of micrometastases of ovarian carcinomas. For all indications, this new approach should be combined with other therapeutic modalities.

Biodistribution of indium-111-labeled OC 125 monoclonal antibody after intraperitoneal injection in nude mice intraperitoneally grafted with ovarian carcinoma.

The purpose of this work was to study the biodistribution of 111In-labeled OC 125 monoclonal antibody (MAb) with known affinity for ovarian carcinomas in a nude mouse model grafted i.p. with a human ovarian cancer (NIH:OVCAR-3). Tumor uptake 24 h after i.p. injection was higher with intact 111In-labeled OC 125 MAb (28 +/- 7.44%ID/g) than with 111In-nonspecific immunoglobulin (6.86 +/- 1.35%ID/g). The kinetics of tumor uptake also differed, showing a plateau followed by a drop at Day 7 with 111In-OC 125 MAb and a decrease beginning at 24 h with 111In-nonspecific immunoglobulin. Tumor-to-normal tissue ratios ranged between 29.91 +/- 11.85 and 0.68 +/- 0.15 with 111In-OC 125 MAb and between 4.50 +/- 1.06 and 0.53 +/- 0.04 with 111In-nonspecific immunoglobulin according to the normal tissues and the time points considered. Tumor uptake 2 h after injection was the same for F(ab')2 fragments as for intact MAb, whereas maximum uptake at 24 h (18.76 +/- 4.62%ID/g) was lower and was followed by a decrease at Day 4. Tumor-to-normal tissue ratios were in the same range, except for the tumor to blood ratio which was higher and the tumor to kidney ratio which was lower at 24 and 96 h. Maximum tumor uptake was higher after i.p. (30.77 +/- 4.76%ID/g) than i.v. (14.59 +/- 2.70%ID/g) injection. Instead of attaining the plateau noted after i.p. injection, tumor uptake after i.v. injection remained low at 2 h (2.11 +/- 1.66%ID/g), reaching its peak only after 96 h. 131I-OC 125 injected i.p., which reached maximum tumor uptake at 2 h (13.53 +/- 4.25%ID/g), showed tumor-to-tissue ratios ranging between 15.98 +/- 2.63 and 0.96 +/- 0.86, i.e., not very different from those with 111In. After i.p. injection of a radiolabeled colloid solution, maximum tumor uptake was reached at 96 h (20.22 +/- 5.35%ID/g), but with very high nonspecific uptake in liver (31.06 +/- 6.22%ID/g) and spleen (55.23 +/- 14.11%ID/g). These results indicate high, selective tumor uptake of 111In-OC 125 after i.p. injection and demonstrate the feasibility of i.p. radioimmunotherapy of ovarian carcinomas.

Biodistribution of indium-111-labeled OC 125 monoclonal antibody intraperitoneally injected into patients operated on for ovarian carcinomas.

The biodistribution of 111In-labeled monoclonal antibody (MAb) OC 125 was studied after i.p. injection in 28 patients who underwent surgery for ovarian carcinoma. Group I (eight patients) received intact 111In-labeled OC 125 MAb, Group II (three patients) intact 111In-labeled irrelevant NS, Group III (five patients) intact 111In-labeled OC 125 MAb associated with 20 mg of the same unlabeled MAb and Group IV (12 patients) F(ab')2 fragments of 111In-labeled OC 125 MAb. The patients were operated on 1 to 3 days after i.p. injection, and the surgeon removed large tumor fragments and/or small tumor nodules and, in some patients, collected the residual perfusion fluid from which malignant cell clusters were isolated. Uptake by large tumor fragments at 24 h was low: 0.0031 +/- 0.0032% injected dose per gram (%ID/g) for Group I and 0.0024 +/- 0.0022%ID/g for Group IV. It was moderately higher than that of Group II (0.0014 +/- 0.0006%ID/g) and Group III (0.0015 +/- 0.0007%ID/g). Uptake by small tumor nodules (0.1302 +/- 0.0802%ID/g at 72 h for Group I) and malignant cell clusters (median: 0.3322, with a maximum value of 4.1614%ID/g at 24 h for Group IV) was markedly higher. Tumor-to-normal tissue ratios with OC 125 MAb [intact or F(ab')2 fragments] ranged between 0.1 and 8.5 for large tumor fragments and 2 and 8,700 for small tumor nodules and malignant cell clusters. It would thus appear that RIT is feasible if an appropriate radionuclide can be selected for antibody labeling.