1
|
Mariuzza RA, Shahid S, Karade SS. The immune checkpoint receptor LAG3: Structure, function, and target for cancer immunotherapy. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107241. [PMID: 38556085 PMCID: PMC11061240 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Lymphocyte activation gene 3 protein (LAG3) is an immune checkpoint receptor that is highly upregulated on exhausted T cells in the tumor microenvironment. LAG3 transmits inhibitory signals to T cells upon binding to MHC class II and other ligands, rendering T cells dysfunctional. Consequently, LAG3 is a major target for cancer immunotherapy with many anti-LAG3 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that block LAG3 inhibitory activity in clinical trials. In this review, we examine the molecular basis for LAG3 function in light of recently determined crystal and cryoEM structures of this inhibitory receptor. We review what is known about LAG3 interactions with MHC class II, its canonical ligand, and the newly discovered ligands FGL1 and the T cell receptor (TCR)-CD3 complex, including current controversies over the relative importance of these ligands. We then address the development and mechanisms of action of anti-LAG3 mAbs in clinical trials for cancer immunotherapy. We discuss new strategies to therapeutically target LAG3 using mAbs that not only block the LAG3-MHC class II interaction, but also LAG3 interactions with FGL1 or TCR-CD3, or that disrupt LAG3 dimerization. Finally, we assess the possibility of developing mAbs that enhance, rather than block, LAG3 inhibitory activity as treatments for autoimmune diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roy A Mariuzza
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.
| | - Salman Shahid
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Sharanbasappa S Karade
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, Maryland, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Silberstein JL, Du J, Chan KW, Frank JA, Mathews II, Kim YB, You J, Lu Q, Liu J, Philips EA, Liu P, Rao E, Fernandez D, Rodriguez GE, Kong XP, Wang J, Cochran JR. Structural insights reveal interplay between LAG-3 homodimerization, ligand binding, and function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2310866121. [PMID: 38483996 PMCID: PMC10962948 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310866121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3) is an inhibitory receptor expressed on activated T cells and an emerging immunotherapy target. Domain 1 (D1) of LAG-3, which has been purported to directly interact with major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) and fibrinogen-like protein 1 (FGL1), has been the major focus for the development of therapeutic antibodies that inhibit LAG-3 receptor-ligand interactions and restore T cell function. Here, we present a high-resolution structure of glycosylated mouse LAG-3 ectodomain, identifying that cis-homodimerization, mediated through a network of hydrophobic residues within domain 2 (D2), is critically required for LAG-3 function. Additionally, we found a previously unidentified key protein-glycan interaction in the dimer interface that affects the spatial orientation of the neighboring D1 domain. Mutation of LAG-3 D2 residues reduced dimer formation, dramatically abolished LAG-3 binding to both MHCII and FGL1 ligands, and consequentially inhibited the role of LAG-3 in suppressing T cell responses. Intriguingly, we showed that antibodies directed against D1, D2, and D3 domains are all capable of blocking LAG-3 dimer formation and MHCII and FGL-1 ligand binding, suggesting a potential allosteric model of LAG-3 function tightly regulated by dimerization. Furthermore, our work reveals unique epitopes, in addition to D1, that can be targeted for immunotherapy of cancer and other human diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John L. Silberstein
- Program in Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Jasper Du
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
| | - Kun-Wei Chan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
| | - Jessica A. Frank
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Irimpan I. Mathews
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, Menlo Park, CA94025
| | - Yong Bin Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Jia You
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
| | - Qiao Lu
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
| | - Jia Liu
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
| | - Elliot A. Philips
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
| | - Phillip Liu
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Program in Biophysics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Eric Rao
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
| | - Daniel Fernandez
- Macromolecular Structure Knowledge Center, Stanford Sarafan ChEM-H Institute, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Grayson E. Rodriguez
- Program in Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Xiang-Peng Kong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
- The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY10016
| | - Jennifer R. Cochran
- Program in Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mishra AK, Shahid S, Karade SS, Agnihotri P, Kolesnikov A, Hasan SS, Mariuzza RA. CryoEM structure of a therapeutic antibody (favezelimab) bound to human LAG3 determined using a bivalent Fab as fiducial marker. Structure 2023; 31:1149-1157.e3. [PMID: 37619561 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2023.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Lymphocyte activation gene 3 protein (LAG3) is an inhibitory receptor that is upregulated on exhausted T cells in tumors. LAG3 is a major target for cancer immunotherapy with many anti-LAG3 antibodies in clinical trials. However, there is no structural information on the epitopes recognized by these antibodies. We determined the single-particle cryoEM structure of a therapeutic antibody (favezelimab) bound to LAG3 to 3.5 Å resolution, revealing that favezelimab targets the LAG3-binding site for MHC class II, its canonical ligand. The small size of the complex between the conventional (monovalent) Fab of favezelimab and LAG3 (∼100 kDa) presented a challenge for cryoEM. Accordingly, we engineered a bivalent version of Fab favezelimab that doubled the size of the Fab-LAG3 complex and conferred a highly identifiable shape to the complex that facilitated particle selection and orientation for image processing. This study establishes bivalent Fabs as new fiducial markers for cryoEM analysis of small proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arjun K Mishra
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD 20850, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Salman Shahid
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD 20850, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Sharanbasappa S Karade
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD 20850, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Pragati Agnihotri
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD 20850, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Alexander Kolesnikov
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD 20850, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - S Saif Hasan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Roy A Mariuzza
- W.M. Keck Laboratory for Structural Biology, University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD 20850, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sun H, Li Y, Zhang P, Xing H, Zhao S, Song Y, Wan D, Yu J. Targeting toll-like receptor 7/8 for immunotherapy: recent advances and prospectives. Biomark Res 2022; 10:89. [PMID: 36476317 PMCID: PMC9727882 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-022-00436-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a large family of proteins that are expressed in immune cells and various tumor cells. TLR7/8 are located in the intracellular endosomes, participate in tumor immune surveillance and play different roles in tumor growth. Activation of TLRs 7 and 8 triggers induction of a Th1 type innate immune response in the highly sophisticated process of innate immunity signaling with the recent research advances involving the small molecule activation of TLR 7 and 8. The wide range of expression and clinical significance of TLR7/TLR8 in different kinds of cancers have been extensively explored. TLR7/TLR8 can be used as novel diagnostic biomarkers, progression and prognostic indicators, and immunotherapeutic targets for various tumors. Although the mechanism of action of TLR7/8 in cancer immunotherapy is still incomplete, TLRs on T cells are involved in the regulation of T cell function and serve as co-stimulatory molecules and activate T cell immunity. TLR agonists can activate T cell-mediated antitumor responses with both innate and adaptive immune responses to improve tumor therapy. Recently, novel drugs of TLR7 or TLR8 agonists with different scaffolds have been developed. These agonists lead to the induction of certain cytokines and chemokines that can be applied to the treatment of some diseases and can be used as good adjutants for vaccines. Furthermore, TLR7/8 agonists as potential therapeutics for tumor-targeted immunotherapy have been developed. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the development of immunotherapy strategies targeting TLR7/8 in patients with various cancers and chronic hepatitis B.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Sun
- grid.412633.10000 0004 1799 0733Department of Radiotherapy, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052 Henan China
| | - Yingmei Li
- grid.412633.10000 0004 1799 0733Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052 Henan China
| | - Peng Zhang
- grid.412633.10000 0004 1799 0733Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052 Henan China
| | - Haizhou Xing
- grid.412633.10000 0004 1799 0733Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052 Henan China
| | - Song Zhao
- grid.412633.10000 0004 1799 0733Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052 Henan China
| | - Yongping Song
- grid.412633.10000 0004 1799 0733Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052 Henan China
| | - Dingming Wan
- grid.412633.10000 0004 1799 0733Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052 Henan China
| | - Jifeng Yu
- grid.412633.10000 0004 1799 0733Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052 Henan China ,grid.256922.80000 0000 9139 560XHenan International Joint Laboratory of Nuclear Protein Gene Regulation, Henan University College of Medicine, Kaifeng, 475004 Henan China
| |
Collapse
|