Therapeutic efficacy evaluation of radioimmunotherapy with 90 Y-labeled anti-podoplanin antibody NZ-12 for mesothelioma

Podoplanin is a type I transmembrane sialomucin-like glycoprotein that is highly expressed in malignant mesothelioma. The rat-human chimeric antibody NZ-12 has high affinity for human podoplanin and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and is applicable for radioimmunotherapy (RIT) to enhance the antitumor effect. In the present study, we evaluated the in vivo and in vitro properties of radiolabeled NZ-12 and the antitumor effect of RIT with Y-labeled NZ-12 in an NCI-H226 (H226) malignant mesothelioma xenograft mouse model. In-labeled NZ-12 bound specifically to H226 cells with high affinity, and accumulation was high in H226 tumors but low in major organs. RIT with Y-labeled NZ-12 significantly suppressed tumor growth and prolonged survival without body weight loss and obvious adverse effects. Higher podoplanin expression levels were observed in human mesothelioma specimens, suggesting higher tumor accumulation of Y-labeled NZ-12 in patients compared with the H226 tumor xenografts. Our findings suggest that Y-labeled NZ-12 is a promising RIT agent as a new therapeutic option for malignant mesothelioma that warrants further clinical studies to evaluate the dosimetry and efficacy in patients.