General overview of radioimmunotherapy of solid tumors

Abstract

Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) represents an attractive tool for the treatment of local and/or diffuse tumors with radiation. In RIT, cytotoxic radionuclides are delivered by monoclonal antibodies that specifically target tumor-associated antigens or the tumor microenvironment. While RIT has been successfully employed for the treatment of lymphoma, mostly with radiolabeled antibodies against CD20 (Bexxar®; Corixa Corp., WA, USA and Zevalin®; Biogen Idec Inc., CA, USA and Schering AG, Berlin, Germany), its use in solid tumors is more challenging and, so far, few trials have progressed beyond Phase II. This review provides an update on antibody–radionuclide conjugates and their use in RIT. It also discusses possible optimization strategies to improve the clinical response by considering biological, radiobiological and physical features.