Imaging of human leukemic T-cell xenografts in nude mice by radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies and F(ab')2 fragments

Evaluation of biotinylated cells as a source of antigens for characterization of their molecular profile

Biotinylated lymphoid cells have been suggested as a useful source of antigen for the immunochemical characterization of their molecular profile. Labelling with biotin eliminates the problems associated with the use of radioactivity. However, this method has not been widely used. This reflects: (1) difficulties in optimizing the signal/background ratio because of the lack of a simple method to quantify biotinylated proteins in a cell lysate, (2) the loss of reactivity with monoclonal antibody of antigen following biotinylation, because of steric hindrance, and (3) the lack of information about the utility of other biotinylated cells as an antigen source. To overcome these limitations, we developed an ELISA to quantify biotinylated proteins in cell lysates and optimized the signal/background ratio. The validity of this approach was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of a number of cell surface antigens immunoprecipitated from lymphoid cells by an optimal amount of monoclonal antibody. Furthermore, we showed that biotinylated melanoma cells are a useful source of antigen for immunoprecipitation experiments and that ligation of biotin to antigen does not affect reactivity with monoclonal antibody. Lastly, biotinylated antigens in cell lysates stored at -80 degrees C for 6 months maintained their reactivity with monoclonal antibodies. Biotinylated cells thus represent a useful source of antigen for characterizing the immunochemical profile and analyzing the specificity of antibodies with immunochemical methods.

Radioimmunodetection of human myeloma xenografts with a monoclonal antibody directed against a plasma cell specific antigen, HM1.24

BACKGROUND

To develop a new immunologic approach to multiple myeloma, the authors generated a monoclonal antibody against a human plasma cell specific antigen, HM1.24. Their previous study showed the antitumor effect of this antibody in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice bearing human myeloma xenografts. In the current study, the efficacy of anti-HM1.24 immunoglobulin (Ig) G and its F(ab')2 fragment were evaluated for radioimmunologic detection of the myeloma xenografts.

METHODS

SCID mice bearing subcutaneous RPMI 8226 tumors were injected with 125I-labeled antibodies, and radioactivity in the tumor and normal tissues was measured. Radioimmunoscintigraphy and autoradiography were performed to investigate the distribution of the antibodies.

RESULTS

In comparative biodistribution studies, the maximum tumor localization index of anti-HMl.24 F(ab')2 fragment was significantly higher than that of anti-HM1.24 IgG. Anti-HM1.24 F(ab')2 consistently had higher tumor-to-tissue ratio than anti-HM1.24 IgG and gave distinct tumor images by radioimmunoscintigraphy. Autoradiographic study showed that anti-HM1.24 F(ab')2 penetrated the tumor mass more uniformly than whole IgG antibody.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that anti-HM1.24 antibody has the potential to provide a new approach to the immunodetection and immunotherapy of multiple myeloma and related plasma cell dyscrasias.

Anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to an anti-CD4 mAb induce CD4+ T cell depletion in rabbit

We previously produced and characterized the syngeneic anti-idiotypic (Ab2) mAb F11-2302, F16-14D6 and F16-16D7 elicited with the mouse anti-human CD4 mAb HP2/6. We showed that F11-2302, which reacts with an idiotope (id) outside the antigen (Ag) combining site, fails to induce anti-CD4 antibodies (Ab) in mice, whereas mAb F16-14D6 and F16-16D7 to an id within (or closely related to) mAb HP2/6 Ag-combining site induces Ab to CD4 molecule. In the present investigation we extended our analysis to the immune response induced by these three mAb in a xenogeneic system by immunizing three New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits with Ab2 mAb. The latter animals were selected since rabbit CD4 molecules displayed a weak cross-reactivity with the anti-human CD4 mAb HP2/6. An additional rabbit was not immunized and used, together with the F11-2302-immunized one, as control. The three rabbits developed Ab3 Ab highly restricted to their respective immunizing mAb. Although no Ab reacting with human CD4 were detected in the three affinity-purified Ab3 preparations, a marked decrease in the percentage of CD4+ T cells was observed in the rabbits immunized with mAb F16-14D6 and F16-16D7. The results suggest that active specific immunotherapy with selected Ab2 mAb may induce biological effects similar to those generated by the passive administration of anti-CD4 mAb, and the rabbit could be an appropriate xenogeneic host for the testing of potential applications of anti-CD4 Ab2 mAb active immunotherapy in transplantation and autoimmune diseases.

Melanocyte tumor progression is associated with changes in angiogenesis and expression of the 67-kilodalton laminin receptor

BACKGROUND

A number of experimental studies have substantiated changes in angiogenesis and in laminin/laminin-receptor interactions during tumorigenesis and tumor progression. However, these observations have never been verified objectively in tissues from a well-defined model of tumor progression.

METHODS

Tissues from 97 proliferative lesions of the melanocyte lineage defining distinct steps in tumor progression were investigated immunohistochemically for changes in angiogenesis and expression of the laminin receptor (67-kilodalton molecule).

RESULTS

Although the microvessel number was low in common nevi, it increased significantly in nevi with architectural disorder with varying degrees of melanocytic atypia (termed "nevi with ADMA"), and these changes persisted during transformation. Progression to primary melanomas was accompanied by a high microvessel number and progression to metastases by another significant increase. The number and diameter of microvessels were significantly higher at the lesion base than at the adjacent dermis of primary melanomas and higher in the lesion than in the adjacent tissue of metastatic foci. Expression of the laminin receptor, evaluated as percentages of positive lesions and positive cells per lesion, underwent upregulation in the course of progression. Changes in expression were associated mostly with nevi with ADMA, transformation, and deepening of the tumors into the dermis.

CONCLUSIONS

These in situ data suggest that more frequent interactions between melanocytic cells and their microvasculature via adhesion protein laminin occur during tumor progression.

Immunochemical and functional characterization of anti-idiotypic antibodies to a mouse anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody

Immunization of BALB/c mice with the mouse anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody (mAb) HP2/6 resulted in the production of anti-idiotypic antibodies. Analysis of the kinetics of the development of anti-idiotypic antibodies showed a homogeneous response among the immunized animals. Cross-blocking assays performed with anti-CD4 mAbs OKT4, OKT4c and OKT4d showed that syngeneic anti-idiotypic antiserum elicited with mAb HP2/6 recognizes idiotope(s) expressed only on the immunizing mAb. The idiotope(s) is (are) located within or closely related to the antigen-combining site of mAb HP2/6. Hybridization with the myeloma cell line NSO of splenocytes from a BALB/c mouse hyperimmunized with mAb HP2/6 generated the anti-idiotypic mAbs F11-2113, F11-2302 and F11-2444 which recognize idiotope(s) outside the antigen-combining site of mAb HP2/6. Although the anti-idiotypic mAbs cross-inhibit each other in their binding to mAb HP2/6, they differ in the ability to elicit anti-anti-idiotypic antisera. Furthermore, mAb F11-2113 enhances CD4 down-regulation in the presence of mAb HP2/6 to a larger extent than mAbs F11-2302 and F11-2444. The latter results suggest an additional mechanism by which anti-idiotypic antibodies may induce functional abnormalities of CD4+ T cells in human immunodeficiency virus-infected T cells.

Doxorubicin: monoclonal antibody conjugate for therapy of human cervical carcinoma

Doxorubicin (Dox) was conjugated via a dextran linker to the F(ab')2 fragment of monoclonal antibody (MAb) 1H10 which recognizes an antigen expressed on the surface of human cervical carcinoma cells and tissues. Drug-antibody conjugates (1H10-Dox) with a molar ratio of Dox to MAb ranging from 40:1 to 60:1 retained antigen-binding and pharmacological activities. Anti-tumor activity of the conjugate in vitro was evaluated by measuring inhibition of [5-3H]-uridine incorporation into cellular RNA. 1H10-Dox was found to be 30 times more toxic to cervical tumor cells than a control MAb-Dox conjugate and 150 times more potent than Dox coupled to dextran. In addition, 1H10-Dox was less toxic to antigen-negative cells in vitro, suggesting that 1H10-Dox killing of cervical carcinoma cells was antibody-mediated. 125I-labeled 1H10-Dox preferentially localized in solid human cervical carcinoma xenografts in athymic mice with tumor-to-blood ratios of 1H10-Dox reaching 17.9 after 24 hr and 32.8 after 48 hr. Treatment of athymic mice bearing human cervical tumors with 1H10-Dox resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of tumor growth. Multiple administrations of 1H10-Dox at a dose corresponding to 20 micrograms doxorubicin significantly suppressed the growth of human cervical tumors in nude mice without significant side effects (weight loss), and this suppression was antibody specific. Both i.p. and i.v. administration of 1H10-Dox were found to be equally effective. Our results suggest that 1H10-Dox may be useful for the treatment of human cervical carcinoma.

Different behaviour of mouse-human chimeric antibody F(ab')2 fragments of IgG1, IgG2 and IgG4 sub-class in vivo

Mouse-human chimeric monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) of 3 different human IgG sub-classes directed against carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) have been produced in SP-0 cells transfected with genomic chimeric DNA. F(ab')2 fragments were obtained by pepsin digestion of the purified chimeric MAbs of human IgG1, IgG2 and IgG4 sub-class and of parental mouse MAb IgG1. The 4 F(ab')2 fragments exhibit similar molecular weight by SDS-PAGE. They were labelled with 125I or 131I and high binding (80 to 87%) to purified unsolubilized CEA was observed. In vivo, double labelling experiments indicate that the longest biological half-life and the highest tumour-localization capacity is obtained with F(ab')2 from chimeric MAb of human IgG2 sub-class, whereas F(ab')2 from chimeric MAb IgG4 give very low values for these 2 parameters. F(ab')2 from chimeric MAb IgG1 and from parental mouse MAb yield intermediate results in vivo. Our findings should help to select the appropriate human IgG sub-class to produce chimeric or reshaped MAb F(ab')2 to be used for tumour detection by immunoscintigraphy and for radioimmunotherapy.

Localization by whole-body autoradiography of intact and fragmented radiolabeled antibodies in a metastatic human colonic cancer model

In this report, we have employed macroautoradiography to compare the tumor targeting of 125I-labeled anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) MAb (NP-4) to 125I-labeled anti-colon-specific antigen-p (CSAp) MAb (Mu-9) and their labeled F(ab')2 and Fab' fragments, in nude mice each bearing large dorsal human colonic tumor xenografts, and small nodular tumors in the liver and lungs. Using intact MAbs (NP-4 and Mu-9), clearance of background radioactivity was delayed to 3-7 days post-treatment. Treatment with F(ab')2 and Fab' fragments of both NP-4 and Mu-9 MAbs, however, promoted clearance of background 125I-radioactivity which was well advanced by 6-24 h and complete by 24-48 h after injection. Localization of 125I-radioactivity in large and micrometastatic tumor perimeters was the most characteristic uptake pattern observed for both intact and fragmented MAbs. Qualitative analysis of macroautoradiographic images and quantitative densitometry indicated that the higher tumor-to-blood ratios achieved with labeled F(ab')2 and Fab' fragments at early time points, compared to labeled whole immunoglobulin, appeared to be more a function of rapid plasma clearance, tumor mass, location of xenografts and specific tumor growth patterns than increased tumor penetrance by lower molecular weight univalent and bivalent immune fragments.

Antibody mediated targeting of radioisotopes, drugs and toxins in diagnosis and treatment

The recent resurgence of interest in site specific delivery of radioisotopes, chemotherapeutic drugs and toxins for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and for the selective manipulation of the immune system, can be directly related to the need for improved diagnosis and the fact that for many cancers, for example lung, colon and gastric, the conventional treatments of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy have reached a plateau in terms of the number of patients cured. To date, because of their specificity, the major emphasis has been on the use of antibodies as carriers and extensive in vitro, in vivo preclinical and clinical evaluation is underway. The aim of this article is to review recent progress, highlight avenues being explored to overcome limitations and to indicate new approaches that are evolving in antibody mediated targeting.

Stimulation of antibody response in the gastrointestinal mucosa of immunodeficient mice by oral treatment with bacterial antigens. An immunoperoxidase study

The immunodeficient (nude) mice were chosen as a model to verify the in vivo stimulating activity of bacterial antigens on the humoral immune response. By using an immunoperoxidase technique, the Ig+ cell content in the gastro-intestinal mucosa of mice was evaluated after oral treatment with a mixture of bacterial antigen fractions (trade name Colopten). Treatment for 15 days was able to induce a significant increase in the proportions of Ig+ cells in both the jejunum and ileum. In contrast, the number of Ig+ cells was significantly increased after 30 days of treatment throughout the gastro-intestinal tract. Based on the staining intensity, a semiquantitative evaluation of the Ig content of the cells was made. Strongly stained Ig+ cells were localized into the gastro-intestinal mucosa during treatment and appeared to be the prominent lymphoid cell population in the small bowel after prolonged administration of Colopten. The morphological analysis of tissues showed that after treatment Ig+ cells tended to be collected within the mucosa rather than being isolated as in untreated animals. Therefore, these results demonstrate that oral administration of Colopten was able to elicit a local humoral immune response in an animal model for severe immunodeficiency.