Immunoglobulins as Radiopharmaceutical Vectors

With the introduction of the magic bullet concept by Ehrlich and the subsequent development of hybridoma technology by Kohler and Milstein, the world of target-specific protein-based drugs was opened. Since then, numerous immunoglobulins and a few dozen radioimmunoconjugates have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). In this chapter, we will discuss the array of natural and engineered immunoglobulins that are available as vectors for imaging and therapy as well as their in vivo modes of action. Several critical aspects of the accessibility and expression of targets related to the use of radioimmunoconjugates for imaging and therapy will be also discussed. These two introductory sections are followed by the core of the chapter in which we address the selection of appropriate radionuclide-immunoglobulin combinations, the possible applications of immunoPET and immunoSPECT, and how radiolabeled immunoglobulins can be evaluated.