RADIOMETAL-LABELED MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES

The radiolabeling of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for the detection of cancer in the 1970’s1–3 marked the beginning of the use of radiolabeled bi-ological molecules for targeting antigens and re-ceptors that are upregulated in tumors. Initially, ra-diolabeled antibodies were labeled with iodine radionuclides; however, the development of ra-diometal-bifunctional chelator-mAb conjugates has become more prevalent over the last two decades, and this topic has been a subject in many reviews published in the last 10 years.4–12 The increase in the use of radiometals for la-beling to mAbs is largely due to their longer re-tention in tumors than iodinated mAbs. The rapid clearance of conventionally radioiodinated mAb