Radiolabeling antibodies with holmium-166.

We report the preliminary results from radiolabeling of a chelate-conjugated antibody with 166Ho produced from the beta(-)-decay of 166Dy. Ho-166 was separated from mg quantities of Dy target by reverse phase ion-exchange chromatography employing a cation exchange HPLC column and 0.085 M alpha-HIBA at pH = 4.3 as eluent. Evaporation to dryness of 166Ho fraction (up to 25 mL) and thermal decomposition of alpha-HIBA yielded 166Ho in a dry state which was then solubilized in 0.5 mL of 0.1 M HCl. Subsequent radiolabeling of CHX-B-DTPA conjugated 135-14 monoclonal antibodies with purified 166 Ho was readily achieved with approximately 80% efficiency and with a specific activity of 3-4 mCi of 166Ho per mg of protein. 166Ho-antibody conjugates are stable with regards to transferrin challenge for a period of 50 h. Further, it was shown that any Fe3+ ions present in alpha-HIBA as an impurity interfere with the labeling.

[166Dy]dysprosium/[166Ho]holmium in vivo generator.

A novel approach for the delivery of 166Ho (t1/2 = 26.6 h) to tissue is via the in vivo decay of its 81.5 h parent, 166Dy-an in vivo generator system. A critical question for the in vivo 166Dy/166Ho generator system is whether translocation of the daughter nucleus occurs. The in vitro and in vivo integrity of the [166Dy]Dy/166Ho-DTPA complex was investigated and results indicated that no translocation of the daughter nucleus occurs subsequent to beta- decay of 166Dy. Biodistribution studies of [166Dy]Dy-DTPA showed that the ratio of 166Dy/166Ho in bone remains constant (+/- 7%) over a 20 h period, indicating no significant in vivo loss of 166Ho from the complex. Increasing the in vivo residence time of [166Dy]Dy-DTPA complex attached to HSA gave similar results.

166Ho-microsphere liver radiotherapy: a preclinical SPECT dosimetry study in the pig.

Liver metastases cause the majority of deaths from colorectal cancer and response to chemotherapy is poor. Intrahepatic arterial 90Y-microspheres may induce tumour regression but the beta-radiation dose is variable and cannot be determined in patients. The 81 keV gamma emission of holmium-166 (166Ho) was used to determine, by single photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) imaging, the beta-radiation absorbed dose to normal liver in pigs following intrahepatic arterial administration of 166Ho-microspheres. The SPECT system was calibrated with anthropomorphic liver phantoms containing known activity concentrations of 166Ho-chloride. The relationship of SPECT counts to phantom activity concentration was linear with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.996. The SPECT pattern of liver distribution following successive administrations of tracer activities of 166Ho-microspheres was similar. The ratio of initial to total SPECT estimates of mean activity concentration in regions of interest, from which anatomically matched biopsy samples were later obtained and counted in an ionization chamber, showed good correlation (r = 0.924). Prospective SPECT dosimetry performed on a tracer activity of 166Ho-microspheres predicted the total administered activity required to deliver a prescribed radiation absorbed dose of 25 Gy to the liver within an error of +/- 8%. This study demonstrates the feasibility of prospective control of the absorbed radiation dose to the critical normal organ by SPECT dosimetry on a tracer dose of 166Ho-microspheres prior to administration of a therapy dose.

Induction of micronuclei in peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients treated for rheumatoid or osteo-arthritis of the knee with dysprosium-165 hydroxide macroaggregates or yttrium-90 silicate.

The advantages of radiation synovectomy, using preparations containing dysprosium-165 (Dy-165), over conventional materials based on yttrium-90 (Y-90) include a more ideal spectrum of decay energies, and a much shorter half-life permitting quicker and more efficient treatment. A new therapeutic agent, Dy-165 hydroxide macroaggregates, has been developed for the treatment of arthritis making use of these advantages. As part of a clinical trial of this material 42 patients were examined for micronucleus frequency in their peripheral blood lymphocytes prior to, and 2 weeks after, radiation synovectomy using Dy-165 hydroxide macroaggregates or Y-90 silicate. In the majority of patients from each treatment group no significant increase in micronucleus frequency was observed. This indicates that in these cases leakage of material from the site of treatment was not resulting in detectable irradiation of circulating cells irrespective of the choice of radiopharmaceutical. The maximum increase in micronucleus frequency observed corresponded to a radiation dose to circulating cells of approximately 0.3 Gray.

A phase I study of samarium-153 ethylenediaminetetramethylene phosphonate therapy for disseminated skeletal metastases.

Thirty-five patients with disseminated skeletal metastases from a variety of tumor types underwent clinical trial of samarium-153 ethylenediaminetetramethylene phosphonate (153Sm-EDTMP) on a day-patient basis. Individual beta radiation dosimetry was based on pharmacokinetic studies of a 20 mCi tracer dose of 153Sm-EDTMP. The retained skeletal activity varied unpredictably from 40% to 95% of the administered dose, but in all patients greater than 98% of the nonosseous activity was cleared in the urine within 6 hours. Prospective calculation of radiation dosimetry in each patient permitted an accurate dosage schedule based upon total red marrow exposure, starting at 100 cGy and escalating to 280 cGy to define the dose-limiting myelotoxicity. Pain was relieved in 22 of 34 evaluable patients (65%) for periods ranging from 4 to 35 weeks, following a single administration of 153Sm-EDTMP. Recurrence of pain responded to retreatment with 153Sm-EDTMP in five of nine patients. The dose-limiting toxicity was myelosuppression manifested particularly by delayed thrombocytopenia. Platelet counts less than 100 x 10(9)/L occurred in 42% of courses when bone marrow radiation absorbed dose exceeded 200 cGy. Myelosuppression was transient and platelet counts had recovered to pretreatment levels within 10 weeks of treatment. 153Sm-EDTMP is effective for the amelioration of pain due to disseminated skeletal metastases particularly with carcinoma of breast or prostate where 83% of patients experienced pain relief. In 15 of the 34 evaluable patients there was evidence of stabilization or regression of skeletal metastases on radiographs and follow-up technetium-99m methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) bone scans.

Samarium-153 EDTMP therapy of disseminated skeletal metastasis.

153Sm-EDTMP (ethylenediaminetetramethylene phosphonate), prepared from a kit, was administered to 28 patients in a clinical trial of therapy for painful skeletal metastases unresponsive to all conventional treatment. The 103 keV gamma emission of 153Sm was utilized for prospective individual estimation of beta radiation absorbed dose to red marrow to minimize myelotoxicity and provide optimum internal radiotherapy to skeletal metastases in each patient. Pain relief occurred within 14 days of administration of 153Sm-EDTMP in 15 of 19 patients (79%) who could be evaluated at 6 weeks, when clinical response was maximal. Duration of response ranged from 4 to 35 weeks. Recurrence of pain responded to retreatment with 153Sm-EDTMP in five of eight cases. No dose-response relationship was apparent for pain relief but reversible myelotoxicity was frequently observed at radiation absorbed doses to bone marrow greater than or equal to 270 cGy. Dosimetry calculation was based on pharmacokinetic studies of a tracer administration of 153Sm-EDTMP in each patient. Assumptions inherent in this prospective method of predicting dose to bone marrow were validated experimentally. Biodistribution studies in rats demonstrated rapid skeletal uptake and long term retention of 153Sm-EDTMP in bone over 5 days. Urinary clearance accounted for 40% of injected dose, and less than 1.0% of administered activity was retained in non osseous tissue. Microdensitometry of autoradiographs of sheep vertebra and femur confirmed surface uptake of 153Sm-EDTMP in cortical bone and demonstrated relatively high trabecular bone activity which is the major component of radiation absorbed dose to bone marrow. Haematological studies in rabbits showed 153Sm-EDTMP-induced myelotoxicity to be transient and no histopathological abnormalities were demonstrable with doses ten times greater than those administered to patients.

The preparation of high specific activity copper-64 for medical diagnosis.

The specific activity of 64Cu produced by the neutron irradiation of copper is too low to be used in some in vitro tests for metabolic diagnosis. This report describes the use of the Szilard-Chalmers reaction to increase the specific activity to useful levels.