Iodination of monoclonal antibodies for diagnosis and radiotherapy using a convenient one vial method.

We have developed a convenient system that can be used to iodinate monoclonal antibodies for diagnosis or therapy. A vial, previously coated with 1,3,4,6-tetrachloro-3a, 6a-diphenyl glycouril (iodogen), is used as a reaction vessel. Iodination and separation of bound and free iodide, using AG1-X8 ion exchange resin, are both accomplished in this vial. We found 90 +/- 4% of the iodide which was added was incorporated, respectively, into each of four different monoclonal antibodies evaluated. Approximately 90% of labeled antibody was recovered in each case. The monoclonal antibody OC125 was labeled to specific activities up to 25 mCi/mg. Immunoreactivities of 82 +/- 2% using 125I and 66 +/- 5% using 131I were achieved. As the radioiodination is done in one sealed vial and takes less than 15 min, this procedure is safe and can be performed in any nuclear medicine laboratory. The final product, which is sterile and apyrogenic, is suitable for diagnostic and radiotherapeutic applications.