In vivo study of a technetium labelled anti-EGFr MoAB

Epithelial Growth Factor receptors (EGFr) are normally present in all the epithelial cells, but their overexpression is closely related to presence of cancer. We have raised EGF-competitive antibody against EGFr and have labelled it with 131I and technetium. The ability of this antibody to bind to A431 cells to be internalized has been tested on A431 cells cultures. Its ability to give scintigraphic images of epithelial tumors has been tested on nu/nu balb c mice xenografted with A431 cells. The labelled antibody is well internalized by cultured cells. Xenografted tumors are clearly imaged both by 131I and 99mTc anti EGFr Mo/Ab. 99mTc labelling is very interesting. The tumor/background ratio was 0.72 +/- 0.2 for 99mTc and 0.40 +/- 0.6 for 131I labelling. Moreover very high uptake of 99mTc MoAb was obtained 2 hours after injection whereas the 131I antibody required 24 hours.