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Zana A, Galbiati A, Gilardoni E, Bocci M, Millul J, Sturm T, Stucchi R, Elsayed A, Nadal L, Cirillo M, Roll W, Stegger L, Asmus I, Backhaus P, Schäfers M, Neri D, Cazzamalli S. Fibroblast Activation Protein Triggers Release of Drug Payload from Non-internalizing Small Molecule Drug Conjugates in Solid Tumors. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:5440-5454. [PMID: 36215129 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-1788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Small molecule drug conjugates (SMDC) are modular anticancer prodrugs that include a tumor-targeting small organic ligand, a cleavable linker, and a potent cytotoxic agent. Most of the SMDC products that have been developed for clinical applications target internalizing tumor-associated antigens on the surface of tumor cells. We have recently described a novel non-internalizing small organic ligand (named OncoFAP) of fibroblast activation protein (FAP), a tumor-associated antigen highly expressed in the stroma of most solid human malignancies. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN In this article, we describe a new series of OncoFAP-Drug derivatives based on monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE; a potent cytotoxic tubulin poison) and dipeptide linkers that are selectively cleaved by FAP in the tumor microenvironment. RESULTS The tumor-targeting potential of OncoFAP was confirmed in patients with cancer using nuclear medicine procedures. We used mass spectrometry methodologies to quantify the amount of prodrug delivered to tumors and normal organs, as well as the efficiency of the drug release process. Linkers previously exploited for anticancer drug conjugates were used as benchmark. We identified OncoFAP-Gly-Pro-MMAE as the best performing SMDC, which has now been prioritized for further clinical development. OncoFAP-Gly-Pro-MMAE selectively delivered more than 10% injected dose per gram of MMAE to FAP-positive tumors, with a tumor-to-kidney ratio of 16:1 at 24 hours post-injection. CONCLUSIONS The FAP-specific drug conjugates described in this article promise to be efficacious for the targeting of human malignancies. The extracellular release of potent anticancer payloads mediates durable complete remission in difficult-to-treat animal models of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aureliano Zana
- R&D Department, Philochem AG, Otelfingen, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Galbiati
- R&D Department, Philochem AG, Otelfingen, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Matilde Bocci
- R&D Department, Philochem AG, Otelfingen, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jacopo Millul
- R&D Department, Philochem AG, Otelfingen, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Theo Sturm
- R&D Department, Philochem AG, Otelfingen, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Abdullah Elsayed
- R&D Department, Philochem AG, Otelfingen, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Lisa Nadal
- R&D Department, Philochem AG, Otelfingen, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martina Cirillo
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician," University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Wolfgang Roll
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Lars Stegger
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Inga Asmus
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Philipp Backhaus
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.,European Institute for Molecular Imaging, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Michael Schäfers
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.,European Institute for Molecular Imaging, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Dario Neri
- R&D Department, Philochem AG, Otelfingen, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich, Switzerland.,Philogen S.p.A., Siena, Italy
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Fu Z, Li S, Han S, Shi C, Zhang Y. Antibody drug conjugate: the "biological missile" for targeted cancer therapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:93. [PMID: 35318309 PMCID: PMC8941077 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-00947-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 354] [Impact Index Per Article: 177.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) is typically composed of a monoclonal antibody (mAbs) covalently attached to a cytotoxic drug via a chemical linker. It combines both the advantages of highly specific targeting ability and highly potent killing effect to achieve accurate and efficient elimination of cancer cells, which has become one of the hotspots for the research and development of anticancer drugs. Since the first ADC, Mylotarg® (gemtuzumab ozogamicin), was approved in 2000 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there have been 14 ADCs received market approval so far worldwide. Moreover, over 100 ADC candidates have been investigated in clinical stages at present. This kind of new anti-cancer drugs, known as “biological missiles”, is leading a new era of targeted cancer therapy. Herein, we conducted a review of the history and general mechanism of action of ADCs, and then briefly discussed the molecular aspects of key components of ADCs and the mechanisms by which these key factors influence the activities of ADCs. Moreover, we also reviewed the approved ADCs and other promising candidates in phase-3 clinical trials and discuss the current challenges and future perspectives for the development of next generations, which provide insights for the research and development of novel cancer therapeutics using ADCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwen Fu
- Department of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China.,Hubei Province Clinical Research Center for Precision Medicine for Critical Illness, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Shijun Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China.,Hubei Province Clinical Research Center for Precision Medicine for Critical Illness, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Sifei Han
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, (Parkville Campus) 381 Royal Parade,, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Faculty of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen Shi
- Department of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China. .,Hubei Province Clinical Research Center for Precision Medicine for Critical Illness, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China. .,Hubei Province Clinical Research Center for Precision Medicine for Critical Illness, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China.
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Deonarain MP, Yahioglu G, Stamati I, Pomowski A, Clarke J, Edwards BM, Diez-Posada S, Stewart AC. Small-Format Drug Conjugates: A Viable Alternative to ADCs for Solid Tumours? Antibodies (Basel) 2018; 7:E16. [PMID: 31544868 PMCID: PMC6698822 DOI: 10.3390/antib7020016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) have been through multiple cycles of technological innovation since the concept was first practically demonstrated ~40 years ago. Current technology is focusing on large, whole immunoglobulin formats (of which there are approaching 100 in clinical development), many with site-specifically conjugated payloads numbering 2 or 4. Despite the success of trastuzumab-emtansine in breast cancer, ADCs have generally failed to have an impact in solid tumours, leading many to explore alternative, smaller formats which have better penetrating properties as well as more rapid pharmacokinetics (PK). This review describes research and development progress over the last ~10 years obtained from the primary literature or conferences covering over a dozen different smaller format-drug conjugates from 80 kDa to around 1 kDa in total size. In general, these agents are potent in vitro, particularly more recent ones incorporating ultra-potent payloads such as auristatins or maytansinoids, but this potency profile changes when testing in vivo due to the more rapid clearance. Strategies to manipulate the PK properties, whilst retaining the more effective tumour penetrating properties could at last make small-format drug conjugates viable alternative therapeutics to the more established ADCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahendra P Deonarain
- Antikor Biopharma Ltd., Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage Herts SG12FX, UK.
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW72AZ, UK.
| | - Gokhan Yahioglu
- Antikor Biopharma Ltd., Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage Herts SG12FX, UK.
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW72AZ, UK.
| | - Ioanna Stamati
- Antikor Biopharma Ltd., Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage Herts SG12FX, UK.
| | - Anja Pomowski
- Antikor Biopharma Ltd., Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage Herts SG12FX, UK.
| | - James Clarke
- Antikor Biopharma Ltd., Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage Herts SG12FX, UK.
| | - Bryan M Edwards
- Antikor Biopharma Ltd., Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage Herts SG12FX, UK.
| | - Soraya Diez-Posada
- Antikor Biopharma Ltd., Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage Herts SG12FX, UK.
| | - Ashleigh C Stewart
- Antikor Biopharma Ltd., Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage Herts SG12FX, UK.
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