Imaging of tumor in patients with indium-111-labeled biotin and streptavidin-conjugated antibodies: preliminary communication.

Tumor localization in patients has been achieved through the in vivo use of streptavidin and biotin. In these preliminary studies, the monoclonal antibody HMFG1 was conjugated with streptavidin and 1 mg was administered intravenously to each of 10 patients with documented squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. Two to 3 days later, 111In-labeled biotin was also administered intravenously. No evidence of toxicity was observed. Background radioactivity levels were reduced in liver (1% ID at 24 hr) and kidneys (2%) and in all other normal tissues and blood. Images of lung tumor were obtained in as little as 2 hr following administration of labeled biotin. In eight patients, tumor was detected with labeled biotin alone without the previous administration of streptavidin-conjugated antibody but in three of these patients, the images were improved with the prior administration of conjugated antibody. These results suggest that this approach may improve the tumor-to-normal tissue radioactivity ratios in radioimmunotargeting.