| abstract |
Disclosed are methods and compositions for the treatment of Hodgkin's disease and processes involving Hodgkin's disease cells or Reed-Sternberg cells, through specific elimination of Hodgkin's disease cells through the application of immunotoxin technology. The compositions of the invention include toxin conjugates composed of a Hodgkin's disease cell binding ligand conjugated to a toxin A chain moiety such as ricin A chain or deglycosylated ricin A chain, by means of a cross-linker or other conjugation which includes a disulfide bond. In preferred aspects of the invention, therapeutic amounts of conjugates composed of a CD-30 or IRac antibody or fragment thereof conjugated to deglycosylated A chain by means of an SMPT linker is administered to a Hodgkin's disease patient so as to specifically eliminate Hodgkin's disease cells without exerting significant toxicity against non-tumour cells. Also disclosed are particular hybridomas and monoclonal antibodies, and associated methodology, which may be employed, e.g., in the preparation of these immunotoxins as well as other uses such as diagnostic applications. |