Preliminary therapeutic and localization studies with human chorionic gonadotrophin.

Studies in both patients and mice have been carried out using heterologous antibody directed at secreted products of tumors. In preliminary therapeutic studies in patients with drug-resistant choriocarcinoma and malignant teratoma, heterologous anti-human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) and anti-alpha-fetoprotein have been combined with continued cytotoxic chemotherapy. The results to date, although interesting, are inconclusive. In nude mice, anti-HCG administration at the time of inoculation with choriocarcinoma cells failed to inhibit tumor growth. 131I-Labeled anti-HCG and anti-carcinoembryonic antigen have been used in localization studies. Specific:nonspecific ratios of up to 2:1 were obtained in human and murine studies with HCG- and carcinoembryonic antigen-producing tumors.