SITE-SPECIFIC CONJUGATION OF A RADIOIODINATED PHENETHYLAMINE DERIVATIVE TO A MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY RESULTS IN INCREASED RADIOACTIVITY LOCALIZATION IN TUMOR

The preparation of a novel radioiodination reagent, the (aminooxy)acetyl derivative of (p-[125]-iodophenyl)ethylamine, is described. Conventional radioiodination of proteins involves the formation of iodotyrosine residues, but for in vivo applications such as thyroid or stomach immunoscintigraphy, the susceptibility of these residues to tissue dehalogenases constitutes a serious disadvantage. Using our new compound, which has a particularly nonreactive aromatic ring, we confirm and extend studies published by other workers indicating the much greater in vivo stability of iodophenyl compounds compared to the more conventional iodophenolic ones. In addition, the aminooxy group of our reagent gives a stable and specific linkage to aldehyde groups formed by periodate oxidation on the sugar moiety of antibody molecules. In vitro, favorable binding activity and high stability was obtained with a (([I-125]iodoaryl)amino)oxy labeled monoclonal antibody directed against carcinoembryonic antigen. In vivo, using paired labeling experiments in nude mice bearing colon carcinoma xenografts, the (([I-125]iodoaryl)amino)oxy-MAb (MAb = monoclonal antibody) was compared with the same MAb I-131-labeled by conventional chloramine-T method. Tumor I-125 concentration of (arylamino)oxy MAb (measured as percent injected dose per gram) was significantly higher as compared to values obtained with a conventionally labeled I-131 antibody. Additionally, thyroid uptake, an indicator of iodine release from the antibody, was up to 25 times lower after injection of I-125-MAb obtained by the new method as compared to the conventionally iodinated I-131-MAb.