Technetium (^99mTc) sulesomab (trade name LeukoScan) is a radio-pharmaceutical composed of anti-human

mouse A mouse ( : mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

monoclonal antibody A monoclonal antibody (mAb, more rarely called moAb) is an antibody produced from a cell Lineage made by cloning a unique white blood cell. All subsequent antibodies derived this way trace back to a unique parent cell. Monoclonal antibodies ...

that targets the granulocyte associated NCA-90 cell antigen and a conjugated

technetium-99m Technetium-99m (99mTc) is a metastable nuclear isomer of technetium-99 (itself an isotope of technetium), symbolized as 99mTc, that is used in tens of millions of medical diagnostic procedures annually, making it the most commonly used medical r ...

radionuclide A radionuclide (radioactive nuclide, radioisotope or radioactive isotope) is a nuclide that has excess nuclear energy, making it unstable. This excess energy can be used in one of three ways: emitted from the nucleus as gamma radiation; transfer ...

. After intravenous administration, Leukoscan enables sensitive and specific whole body measurement of granulocyte infiltration and activation by

gamma camera A gamma camera (γ-camera), also called a scintillation camera or Anger camera, is a device used to image gamma radiation emitting radioisotopes, a technique known as scintigraphy. The applications of scintigraphy include early drug development ...

imaging of ^99mTc-antibody bound cells. Total clearance of LeukoScan from blood samples after administration and imaging has been reported at 48 hour time points indicating limited retention of the agent in circulation It is approved in European markets for the imaging of

infection An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable d ...

s and

inflammation Inflammation (from la, wikt:en:inflammatio#Latin, inflammatio) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or Irritation, irritants, and is a protective response involving im ...

s in patients with suspected

osteomyelitis Osteomyelitis (OM) is an infection of bone. Symptoms may include pain in a specific bone with overlying redness, fever, and weakness. The long bones of the arms and legs are most commonly involved in children e.g. the femur and humerus, while the ...

but has not secured FDA approval for use in American markets. In addition to approved uses, Leukoscan is currently being investigated for other diagnostic purposes like the detection of

soft tissue Soft tissue is all the tissue in the body that is not hardened by the processes of ossification or calcification such as bones and teeth. Soft tissue connects, surrounds or supports internal organs and bones, and includes muscle, tendons, liga ...

infections, malignant external otitis and prosthetic joint infection. However, the future clinical and investigational use of this agent may be limited as sale of the agent by the parent company

Immunomedics Immunomedics was a biotechnology company focused on the development of antibody-drug conjugates for the treatment of cancer. In 2020, the company was acquired by Gilead Sciences. History Immunomedics was founded in July 1982 by David M. Goldenbe ...

was discontinued in 2018.

References

See also