ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses some aspects of monoclonal antibodies for localization and therapy in human tumor xenografts. The development of the hybridoma technology by Kohler and Milstein for the production of monoclonal antibodies created a new tool for the diagnosis and therapy of cancer. The quantity of antigen in the xenografts seems to be important for the localization of monoclonal antibodies in the tumors. Monoclonal antibodies directed against carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) are widely used in clinical and animal studies. In clinical trials, the majorproblem with repeated injections of murine monoclonal antibodies is the development of a human anti-mouse antibody (HAMA) response. Iodine radionuclides can be easily coupled to monoclonal antibodies by electrophilic substitution of hydrogen atoms in tyrosine molecules. In nude mice bearing xenografts, therapy with unlabeled monoclonal antibodies may be very effective. The nude mouse-human tumor model has been useful for predicting the effectiveness of monoclonal antibody conjugates in patients.
