In vivo evaluation of radiolabelled antibodies with antigen-coated polymer particles in diffusion chambers.

A method for the evaluation of in vivo immunolocalization of labelled monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) is presented. The technique is an alternative to the nude mouse xenograft system. The antigen reservoir is an intraperitoneal diffusion chamber (DC) filled with a suspension of antigen-coated polymer particles. Intravenously injected 125I-labelled MoAb are allowed to specifically bind to this artificial abdominal 'tumour', which can be removed and measured for radioactivity after animal killing. The model can be used as a preclinical in vivo method for the evaluation of labelled MoAbs prepared for immunodiagnostics or therapy. The DC system permits the amounts of both antibody and antigen to be controlled and antibody access to the antigen within the DC is presumably the same in every animal. The model permits a systematic comparison of different antibodies and antibody fragments, labels and labelling procedures, as well as routes of administration in immunocompetent animals.