[Experimental studies on targeting chemotherapy using adriamycin entrapped in liposomes conjugated with anti-human alpha-fetoprotein monoclonal antibody].

The in vivo tissue distribution of adriamycin (ADM) entrapped in liposomes conjugated with anti-human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) monoclonal antibody (Lip-ADM = Ab) and the therapeutic effects of the conjugates on the AFP producing human hepatoma xenograft, Li-7, transplanted in BALB/c nu/nu murine liver were studied. The tissue distribution studies of Lip-ADM = Ab revealed that ADM levels were augmented in tumors, when Lip-ADM = Ab was administered intravenously as compared with free ADM or ADM entrapped in liposomes (Lip-ADM) alone. In addition, cardiac distribution of ADM was decreased in mice using ADM entrapped in liposomes. The therapeutic effects of Lip-ADM = Ab were tested in vivo on the experimentally transplanted Li-7 in liver. The anti-tumor effects of Lip-ADM = Ab were greater than those of Lip-ADM or free ADM as assessed by tumor weight. This experiment also indicated that the toxicity of ADM was reduced when the drug was injected using liposomes entrapped form by the body-weight losses and spleen weights.