Tm. Illidge et al., The importance of antibody-specificity in determining successful radioimmunotherapy of B-cell lymphoma, BLOOD, 94(1), 1999, pp. 233-243
We report the radioimmunotherapy of mouse B-cell lymphoma, BCL1, using a pa
nel of anti-B-cell monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) (anti-CD19, anti-CD22, anti
-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II, and anti-idiotype (Id) radiolab
eled with 131-iodine. When administered early in disease (day 4), the I-131
-anti-MHCII MoAb cured tumors as a result of targeted irradiation alone, th
e unlabeled MoAb being nontherapeutic. In contrast, I-131-anti-Id, despite
targeting irradiation and having therapeutic activity as an unconjugated an
tibody, protected mice for only 30 days; I-131-anti-CD19 and anti-CD22 were
therapeutically inactive. Binding and biodistribution studies showed that
the anti-Id, unlike anti-MHCII, MoAb was cleared from target cells in vivo
and delivered 4 times less irradiation to splenic tumor. Treating later in
the disease (day 14) increased tumor load and produced the expected reducti
on in therapeutic activity with the anti-MHCII, but surprisingly, allowed I
-131-anti-Id to cure most mice. This unexpected potency of I-131-anti-Id la
te in the disease appeared to result from the direct cytotoxicity of the an
ti-Id MoAb, which was more active in established disease, in combination wi
th targeted irradiation. We believe the ability of targeted irradiation and
certain cytotoxic MoAb to work cooperatively against tumor in this way has
important implications for the selection of reagents in radioimmunotherapy
of B-cell lymphoma. (C) 1999 by The American Society of Hematology.