US Patent 8491906 Selective targeting of tumor vasculature using antibody molecules

The present invention relates to selectively targeting tumoral vasculature in vivo using a human recombinant scFv, L19, to the angiogenesis marker ED-B domain of fibronectin. In preferred embodiments, a complete human IgG1 is employed having the variable regions of L19. In other preferred embodiments is employed a mini-immunoglobulin generated by fusing the scFv L19 to the constant CH4 domain of a secretory IgE isoform that naturally contains a cysteine in its COOH terminal and which forms a covalently linked dimer. Different in vivo behavior of the antibody formats is exploitable for different diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes, depending on clinical needs and disease. The antibody molecules may be labelled as described.