February 27, 2009

Treating HIV and Cancer With Radioimmunotherapy

Radioimmunotherapy (RIT)—which joins short-lived radioactive molecules to antibodies that target HIV-infected or cancerous cells—has already shown promise in treating non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and may also work in HIV, ScienceDaily reports.

Ekaterina Dadachova, PhD, from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in New York City, gave a presentation on RIT at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which took place this year in Chicago.

She explained that the type of radioactive molecules used in radioimmunotherapy is only toxic to cells for about 46 minutes. By binding tightly to the target cells with the antibody, they are able to kill the unwanted cells without significantly damaging other cells or tissues.

With cancers such as NHL, researchers can design antibodies that target only cancerous cells. In HIV, however, the virus itself would be too difficult to target. “Our approach is not to target the virus particles themselves, but rather lymphocytes that harbor the virus,” Dadachova said. “Fortunately, lymphocytes are among the most radiosensitive cells in the body.”

RIT has been used successfully against HIV-infected cells in a laboratory and in specially bred mice infected with HIV. Dadachova and her colleagues are now conducting final laboratory testing to prepare for a Phase I clinical trial in humans.

Search: Radioimmunotherapy, RIT, antibodies, radiaoactive, Ekaterina Dadachova, non-Hodgekin's lymphoma, NHL

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