Vascular targeted radioimmunotherapy with 213Bi -: An α-particle emitter

To destroy both tumor blood vessels and adjacent tumor cells, an cu particle emitter, Bi-213, has been targeted with a monoclonal antibody (MAb) to vessels that feed lung tumors in mice. Animals, bearing approximately 100 EMT-6 carcinomas each of 50-400 cells in size in the lung, that were treated with 120 mu Ci of Bi-213-MAb 201B were all cured of their disease, Animals treated when tumors were larger (10(3)-10(4) cells) had extended life spans, but a small number of residual tumors eventually killed the animals. Significant extension of life span was also induced with another tumor model - rat tracheal carcinoma growing in the lungs of SCID mice that were then treated with 136 mu Ci Bi-213-MAb B-201. These studies indicate that attack of both blood vessels and tumor cells simultaneously is an effective mode of cancer treatment. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.