Direct radiolabeling of monoclonal antibodies with rhenium-188 for radioimmunotherapy of solid tumors — a review of radiolabeling characteristics, quality control and in vitro stability studies

188Re is one of the radioisotopes expected to emerge as useful for therapy. Development of new radiopharmaceuticals based on 188Re depends on the radiolabeling methods used, which would give stable complexes having predefined radiochemical properties and in vitro and in vivo stability. This paper has attempted to provide a perspective of 188Re-labeled monoclonal antibodies, their radiolabeling characteristics, methods for quality control of radioimmunoconjugates and in vitro stability for radioimmunotherapy of solid tumors. The direct method of 188Re radiolabeling of antibodies by reductive attachment of 188Re in which free sulfhydryl groups have been generated by reduction of the intramolecular S–S disulfide bonds has been shown to be a promising approach in particular. Moreover, excellent methods have been developed to test the radionuclide, radiochemical purity and stability of 188Re-radioimmunoconjugates using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and paper chromatography.