The quarterly journal of nuclear medicine : official publication of the Italian Association of Nuclear Medicine (AIMN) [and] the International Association of Radiopharmacology (IAR)
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The aim of radioimmunotherapy in treating solid tumors is to target tumor sites while sparing normal tissues. This can best be achieved by using a monoclonal antibody (MAb) with high tumor uptake and rapid clearance. Because MAbs are basic, positively charged proteins, and mammalian cells are negatively charged, the electrostatic interactions between the two can create higher levels of background binding resulting in low tumor to normal organ ratios. ⋯ Several groups have reported on the effects of chemical modification using molecules such as dextran, PEG, lactose and biotin. Some of these modified MAbs retain the antigen binding specificity of the parent molecule and have improved clearance characteristics from blood and other organs. Hence, these methods can be used to improve both the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of MAbs by improving the signal to noise ratio and the absolute tumor accretion of MAb, respectively.