Methods for detecting pathological sites

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of site directed therapy. More specifically the invention relates to site directed radio therapy, and provides a method for production of radioconjugates and an apparatus for radioimmunotherapy. The method, conjugates and apparatus can be practicalized without the need for radioactive shielding and / or airtight facilities. Without these restrictions the invention provides a simple and efficient means of therapy at the bed-side of the patient.

Description

[0001]The present application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08 / 440,857, filed May 15, 1995, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08 / 097,471, filed Jul. 27, 1993, and now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07 / 657,580, filed Feb. 19, 1991 and now U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,691. The entire disclosures of all of the above-mentioned patent applications are incorporated by reference in the present specification as though set forth herein in full.[0002]The present invention relates to the field of site directed therapy. Nowadays there are a number of methods of site directed therapy which have been suggested to eliminate unwanted cells or other biological matter, e.g., vascular occlusions, or infectious organisms from the body of a mammalian subject.[0003]There are many fields of therapy in which such methods may be applied. The most important ones include, without limitation, immune diseases...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a therapeutic radioconjugate that targets specific cells or structures in the body, such as tumor cells or inflammatory cells, with a short-lived α-particle emitting radioisotope. The targeting moiety is either an antibody or a ligand that binds to a specific receptor on the cell surface. The method involves loading a long-lived α-particle emitting radioisotope onto a binding medium, eluting it, and then coupling it to the targeting moiety. The use of relatively long-lived α-particle emitting radioisotopes allows for sufficient time for packing and shipping, while the use of relatively short-lived α-particle emitting radioisotopes reduces the risk of radiation hazards. The reference to a decay sequence in which predominantly α and / or β-rays are emitted is meant to signify a decay sequence which does not cause danger for radiation hazards caused by gamma rays to people working with the compounds without the burden of applying protective shielding.

Problems solved by technology

Known targeting moieties, such as antibodies, often cannot be provided with a large amount of cytotoxic compounds without hampering their targeting specificity.

A well established problem in the field of imaging and site directed radiotherapy is to find a suitable radioisotope.

Apart from the amount of energy that is released upon their decay, which should be sufficient to be measurable outside the subject in the case of imaging and sufficiently lethal to the target in the case of therapy, there is also a problem in finding an isotope with a suitable half-life.

An isotope with a long half life cannot be chosen because of the biological half life of the targeting moiety, which means that most of the isotopes will decay after disintegration of the conjugate.

This decay after the disintegration of the conjugate will lead to cytotoxicity to other cells or tissues than the target.

Furthermore, all conjugates which do not localize will be secreted from the body and present a radio active waste problem.

It is also not practical to choose a radioisotope with too short a half life, because of packing and shipping delays and because the institution carrying out the therapy must be equipped to make the conjugate, transport it to the patient and administer it in a very short interval of time, otherwise most of the radioisotope will have decayed before entering the body, let alone localization at the target site.

a. very few human monoclonal antibodies with proven sufficient quality are available yet,

b. very limited biological safety data are available for antibody coupling agent (the latter for the binding of the radioisotope) combinations,

c. some isotopes may not become available for large scale application at acceptable cost prices (225Fm),

d. isotopes may be too difficult and therefore too expensive to obtain because of the necessary procurement process (211At from 209Bi by a (α, 2n) reaction in a cyclotron and subsequent isolation plus purification)

e. other isotopes do have a Rn-isotope as first daughter in their decay sequence, allowing redistribution of daughter nuclei before decay (224Ra, 223Ra), and also necessitating gas-tight reaction conditions

f. some isotopes may have a relatively long living daughter isotope somewhere in their decay sequence (224Ra, 223Ra, 225Ac) also with the chance that daughters thereof may redistribute before decay

g. the radioactive halflife of some isotopes is so long that most of the activity leaves the patient undecayed, resulting in a waste problem (223Ra, 224Ra 225Ac) o

One or more of the arguments listed above will make it very difficult, if not impossible for some of the isotopes to ever be used on a large scale for α-radio-immunotherapy, and that in particular if one or more of the others can be used on acceptable technical, logistical and financial conditions.

However, these conjugates still suffer from the drawbacks mentioned above under e, h, i and j.

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