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Passive Administration of Monoclonal Antibodies Against H. capsulatum and Others Fungal Pathogens
09:57

Passive Administration of Monoclonal Antibodies Against H. capsulatum and Others Fungal Pathogens

Published on: February 14, 2011

Ionizing radiation delivered by specific antibody is therapeutic against a fungal infection

Ekaterina Dadachova1, Antonio Nakouzi, Ruth A Bryan

  • 1Department of Nuclear Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. edadacho@aecom.yu.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|August 22, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Targeted radiation therapy using radiolabeled antibodies effectively killed pathogenic fungi and improved survival in infected mice. This novel approach offers a promising new strategy for combating antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Physics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Antimicrobial resistance necessitates novel therapeutic strategies.
  • Ionizing radiation offers rapid microbial killing but lacks targeted delivery.
  • Current therapies are often ineffective in immunocompromised hosts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and evaluate targeted ionizing radiation as an antimicrobial therapy.
  • To assess the efficacy of radioisotope-labeled monoclonal antibodies against fungal infections.

Main Methods:

  • Monoclonal antibodies were labeled with therapeutic radioisotopes Rhenium-188 (188Re) and Bismuth-213 (213Bi).
  • Radiolabeled antibodies were tested in vitro against Cryptococcus neoformans.
  • Therapy was administered to infected mice to assess in vivo efficacy and toxicity.

Main Results:

  • Radiolabeled antibodies demonstrated in vitro microbicidal activity against C. neoformans.
  • In vivo administration of radiolabeled antibodies reduced fungal burden in infected mice.
  • Treatment significantly prolonged survival without apparent toxicity.

Conclusions:

  • Targeted radiation delivery via radiolabeled antibodies is a viable antimicrobial strategy.
  • This approach converts antibodies into microbicidal agents for treating infections.
  • The principle shows broad applicability for combating infectious diseases.

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