Applications of monoclonal antibodies and recombinant cytokines for the treatment of human colorectal and other carcinomas

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Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) which recognize a human tumor antigen, termed tumor‐associated glycoprotein‐72 (TAG‐72), have successfully been used to localize primary as well as metastatic colorectal tumor lesions in patients. The localization of the anti‐TAG‐72 MAbs has also been exploited intraoperatively using a hand‐held gamma probe. That procedure, termed radioimmunoguided surgery (RIGS), has identified occult tumors which were not detected using standard external imaging techniques. In another clinical trial, interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) was administered intraperitoneally to patients diagnosed with either gastrointestinal or ovarian carcinoma with secondary ascites. Analysis of the tumor cells isolated from the malignant ascites revealed a substantial increase in TAG‐72 expression on the surface of tumor cells isolated from seven of eight patients. The results provide evidence that the combination of an anti‐carcinoma MAb with the administration of a cytokine, such as IFN‐γ, may be an effective approach for the detection and subsequent treatment, of colorectal carcinoma.