Clinical application of radioiodinated antibodies: where are we?

Eradication of cancer still remains an upsetting issue despite our increased understanding of the molecular basis of carcinogenesis. Factors such as the molecular heterogeneity of some tumours and initial diagnosis at advanced stages hamper effective disease treatment. Given the ineffectiveness of current treatments, the development of newer therapeutic modalities to address clinical unmet needs is still mandatory. Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) that combines the use of specific antibodies against tumour-associated antigens with the cytotoxic properties of therapeutic radionuclides is amongst those approaches. The potential of monoclonal antibodies to complement current treatment protocols may bring a significant improvement to the overall therapeutic outcomes of oncologic disorders. RIT permits the delivery of a high dose of therapeutic radiation to cancer cells, while minimizing the exposure of normal cells. I-131 and Y-90 have been used in > 95% of clinical RIT trials and represent the current standard to which all other radionuclides are compared. Both beta-particle-emitting isotopes qualify for RIT because of their favourable emission characteristics and availability and flexible radiochemistry. The importance of radioiodine in nuclear medicine together with the success of radioiodinated antibody-based drugs in the clinical setup prompted us to provide an updated overview of the application of radioiodinated antibodies in RIT and anticipate potential relevant accomplishments in the near future.

Automated summary

Despite our increased understanding of the molecular basis of carcinogenesis, the eradication of cancer remains difficult due to factors such as molecular heterogeneity and late-stage diagnosis. Radioimmunotherapy (RIT), which combines specific antibodies with therapeutic radionuclides, offers a potential solution by delivering high doses of radiation to cancer cells while sparing normal cells.