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Stock S, Fertig L, Gottschlich A, Dörr J, Märkl F, Majed L, Menkhoff VD, Grünmeier R, Rejeski K, Cordas Dos Santos DM, Theurich S, von Bergwelt-Baildon M, Endres S, Subklewe M, Kobold S. Comparative performance of scFv-based anti-BCMA CAR formats for improved T cell therapy in multiple myeloma. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2024; 73:100. [PMID: 38630291 PMCID: PMC11024081 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03688-4] [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: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
In multiple myeloma (MM), B cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed CAR T cells have emerged as a novel therapy with potential for long-term disease control. Anti-BCMA CAR T cells with a CD8-based transmembrane (TM) and CD137 (41BB) as intracellular costimulatory domain are in routine clinical use. As the CAR construct architecture can differentially impact performance and efficacy, the optimal construction of a BCMA-targeting CAR remains to be elucidated. Here, we hypothesized that varying the constituents of the CAR structure known to impact performance could shed light on how to improve established anti-BCMA CAR constructs. CD8TM.41BBIC-based anti-BCMA CAR vectors with either a long linker or a short linker between the light and heavy scFv chain, CD28TM.41BBIC-based and CD28TM.CD28IC-based anti-BCMA CAR vector systems were used in primary human T cells. MM cell lines were used as target cells. The short linker anti-BCMA CAR demonstrated higher cytokine production, whereas in vitro cytotoxicity, T cell differentiation upon activation and proliferation were superior for the CD28TM.CD28IC-based CAR. While CD28TM.CD28IC-based CAR T cells killed MM cells faster, the persistence of 41BBIC-based constructs was superior in vivo. While CD28 and 41BB costimulation come with different in vitro and in vivo advantages, this did not translate into a superior outcome for either tested model. In conclusion, this study showcases the need to study the influence of different CAR architectures based on an identical scFv individually. It indicates that current scFv-based anti-BCMA CAR with clinical utility may already be at their functional optimum regarding the known structural variations of the scFv linker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Stock
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
- Department of Medicine III, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, a partnership between the DKFZ Heidelberg and the LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany.
| | - Luisa Fertig
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Adrian Gottschlich
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Medicine III, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Janina Dörr
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Florian Märkl
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Lina Majed
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Vivien D Menkhoff
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ruth Grünmeier
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Kai Rejeski
- Department of Medicine III, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, a partnership between the DKFZ Heidelberg and the LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Immunology, LMU Gene Center, Munich, Germany
| | - David M Cordas Dos Santos
- Department of Medicine III, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, a partnership between the DKFZ Heidelberg and the LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany
- Cancer- and Immunometabolism Research Group, LMU Gene Center, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Theurich
- Department of Medicine III, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, a partnership between the DKFZ Heidelberg and the LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany
- Cancer- and Immunometabolism Research Group, LMU Gene Center, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael von Bergwelt-Baildon
- Department of Medicine III, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, a partnership between the DKFZ Heidelberg and the LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Endres
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, a partnership between the DKFZ Heidelberg and the LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany
- Einheit für Klinische Pharmakologie (EKLiP), Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Marion Subklewe
- Department of Medicine III, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, a partnership between the DKFZ Heidelberg and the LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Immunology, LMU Gene Center, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kobold
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, a partnership between the DKFZ Heidelberg and the LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany.
- Einheit für Klinische Pharmakologie (EKLiP), Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Neuherberg, Germany.
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2
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Muñoz-López P, Ribas-Aparicio RM, Becerra-Báez EI, Fraga-Pérez K, Flores-Martínez LF, Mateos-Chávez AA, Luria-Pérez R. Single-Chain Fragment Variable: Recent Progress in Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14174206. [PMID: 36077739 PMCID: PMC9455005 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14174206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Recombinant antibody fragments have shown remarkable potential as diagnostic and therapeutic tools in the fight against cancer. The single-chain fragment variable (scFv) that contains the complete antigen-binding domains of a whole antibody, has several advantages such as a high specificity and affinity for antigens, a low immunogenicity, and the proven ability to penetrate tumor tissues and diffuse. This review provides an overview of the current studies on the principle, generation, and applications of scFvs, particularly in the diagnosis and therapy of cancer, and underscores their potential use in clinical trials. Abstract Cancer remains a public health problem worldwide. Although conventional therapies have led to some excellent outcomes, some patients fail to respond to treatment, they have few therapeutic alternatives and a poor survival prognosis. Several strategies have been proposed to overcome this issue. The most recent approach is immunotherapy, particularly the use of recombinant antibodies and their derivatives, such as the single-chain fragment variable (scFv) containing the complete antigen-binding domains of a whole antibody that successfully targets tumor cells. This review describes the recent progress made with scFvs as a cancer diagnostic and therapeutic tool, with an emphasis on preclinical approaches and their potential use in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Muñoz-López
- Unit of Investigative Research on Hemato-Oncological Diseases, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Doctor Márquez 162, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
- Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), Prolongación de Carpio y Plan de Ayala S/N, Mexico City 11340, Mexico
| | - Rosa María Ribas-Aparicio
- Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), Prolongación de Carpio y Plan de Ayala S/N, Mexico City 11340, Mexico
| | - Elayne Irene Becerra-Báez
- Unit of Investigative Research on Hemato-Oncological Diseases, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Doctor Márquez 162, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), Prolongación de Carpio y Plan de Ayala S/N, Mexico City 11340, Mexico
| | - Karla Fraga-Pérez
- Unit of Investigative Research on Hemato-Oncological Diseases, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Doctor Márquez 162, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
| | - Luis Fernando Flores-Martínez
- Unit of Investigative Research on Hemato-Oncological Diseases, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Doctor Márquez 162, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
| | - Armando Alfredo Mateos-Chávez
- Unit of Investigative Research on Hemato-Oncological Diseases, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Doctor Márquez 162, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
| | - Rosendo Luria-Pérez
- Unit of Investigative Research on Hemato-Oncological Diseases, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Doctor Márquez 162, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +52-(55)-5228-9917 (ext. 4401)
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3
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Jagannath DK, Valiyaparambil A, Viswanath VK, Hurakadli MA, Kamariah N, Jafer AC, Patole C, Pradhan S, Kumar N, Lakshminarasimhan A. Refolding and characterization of a diabody against Pfs25, a vaccine candidate of Plasmodium falciparum. Anal Biochem 2022; 655:114830. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2022.114830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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4
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Wang X, Dong Z, Awuah D, Chang WC, Cheng WA, Vyas V, Cha S, Anderson A, Zhang T, Wang Z, Szymura S, Kuang B, Clark MC, Aldoss I, Forman SJ, Kwak LW, Qin H. CD19/BAFF-R dual-targeted CAR T cells for the treatment of mixed antigen-negative variants of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Leukemia 2022; 36:1015-1024. [PMID: 35039637 PMCID: PMC8983465 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-021-01477-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells targeting CD19 mediate potent antitumor effects in B-cell malignancies including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but antigen loss remains the major cause of treatment failure. To mitigate antigen escape and potentially improve the durability of remission, we developed a dual-targeting approach using an optimized, bispecific CAR construct that targets both CD19 and BAFF-R. CD19/BAFF-R dual CAR T cells exhibited antigen-specific cytokine release, degranulation, and cytotoxicity against both CD19-/- and BAFF-R-/- variant human ALL cells in vitro. Immunodeficient mice engrafted with mixed CD19-/- and BAFF-R-/- variant ALL cells and treated with a single dose of CD19/BAFF-R dual CAR T cells experienced complete eradication of both CD19-/- and BAFF-R-/- ALL variants, whereas mice treated with monospecific CD19 or BAFF-R CAR T cells succumbed to outgrowths of CD19-/BAFF-R+ or CD19+/BAFF-R- tumors, respectively. Further, CD19/BAFF-R dual CAR T cells showed prolonged in vivo persistence, raising the possibility that these cells may have the potential to promote durable remissions. Together, our data support clinical translation of BAFF-R/CD19 dual CAR T cells to treat ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuli Wang
- Cellular Immunotherapy Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Zhenyuan Dong
- Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Dennis Awuah
- Cellular Immunotherapy Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Wen-Chung Chang
- Cellular Immunotherapy Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Wesley A Cheng
- Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Vibhuti Vyas
- Cellular Immunotherapy Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Soungchul Cha
- Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Aaron Anderson
- Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Tiantian Zhang
- Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Zhe Wang
- Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Szymon Szymura
- Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Benjamin Kuang
- Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Mary C. Clark
- Department of Clinical and Translational Project Development, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Ibrahim Aldoss
- Cellular Immunotherapy Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Stephen J. Forman
- Cellular Immunotherapy Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA,Corresponding Authors: Larry W. Kwak, MD., Ph.D., Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010, ; Phone: 626-256-4673 ext. 80025; Fax: 626-218-3607, Stephen J. Forman., MD., Cellular Immunotherapy Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010, ; Tel: 626-218-2405; Fax: 626-301-8256
| | - Larry W Kwak
- Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA.
| | - Hong Qin
- Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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5
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Effect of non-repetitive linker on in vitro and in vivo properties of an anti-VEGF scFv. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5449. [PMID: 35361822 PMCID: PMC8971466 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09324-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Single chain antibody fragments (scFvs) are favored in diagnostic and therapeutic fields thanks to their small size and the availability of various engineering approaches. Linker between variable heavy (VH) and light (VL) chains of scFv covalently links these domains and it can affect scFv’s bio-physical/chemical properties and in vivo activity. Thus, scFv linker design is important for a successful scFv construction, and flexible linkers are preferred for a proper pairing of VH–VL. The flexibility of the linker is determined by length and sequence content and glycine-serine (GS) linkers are commonly preferred for scFvs based on their highly flexible profiles. Despite the advantage of this provided flexibility, GS linkers carry repeated sequences which can cause problems for PCR-based engineering approaches and immunogenicity. Here, two different linkers, a repetitive GS linker and an alternative non-repetitive linker with similar flexibility but lower immunogenicity are employed to generate anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor scFvs derived from bevacizumab. Our findings highlight a better in vitro profile of the non-repetitive linker such as a higher monomer ratio, higher thermal stability while there was no significant difference in in vivo efficacy in a zebrafish embryonic angiogenesis model. This is the first study to compare in vivo efficacy of scFvs with different linkers in a zebrafish model.
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6
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Schneider KT, Kirmann T, Wenzel EV, Grosch JH, Polten S, Meier D, Becker M, Matejtschuk P, Hust M, Russo G, Dübel S. Shelf-Life Extension of Fc-Fused Single Chain Fragment Variable Antibodies by Lyophilization. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:717689. [PMID: 34869052 PMCID: PMC8634725 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.717689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Generation of sequence defined antibodies from universal libraries by phage display has been established over the past three decades as a robust method to cope with the increasing market demand in therapy, diagnostics and research. For applications requiring the bivalent antigen binding and an Fc part for detection, phage display generated single chain Fv (scFv) antibody fragments can rapidly be genetically fused to the Fc moiety of an IgG for the production in eukaryotic cells of antibodies with IgG-like properties. In contrast to conversion of scFv into IgG format, the conversion to scFv-Fc requires only a single cloning step, and provides significantly higher yields in transient cell culture production than IgG. ScFv-Fcs can be effective as neutralizing antibodies in vivo against a panel of pathogens and toxins. However, different scFv fragments are more heterologous in respect of stability than Fab fragments. While some scFv fragments can be made extremely stable, this may change due to few mutations, and is not predictable from the sequence of a newly selected antibody. To mitigate the necessity to assess the stability for every scFv-Fc antibody, we developed a generic lyophilization protocol to improve their shelf life. We compared long-term stability and binding activity of phage display-derived antibodies in the scFv-Fc and IgG format, either stored in liquid or lyophilized state. Conversion of scFv-Fcs into the full IgG format reduced protein degradation and aggregation, but in some cases compromised binding activity. Comparably to IgG conversion, lyophilization of scFv-Fc resulted in the preservation of the antibodies' initial properties after storage, without any drop in affinity for any of the tested antibody clones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Thomas Schneider
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Toni Kirmann
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Esther Veronika Wenzel
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- Abcalis GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jan-Hendrik Grosch
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Saskia Polten
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Doris Meier
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Marlies Becker
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Paul Matejtschuk
- Standardisation Science, National Institute for Biological Standards & Control (NIBSC), Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Hust
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Giulio Russo
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- Abcalis GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Stefan Dübel
- Department of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
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7
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Zhang L, Wang Z, Wang Z, Luo F, Guan M, Xu M, Li Y, Zhang Y, Wang Z, Wang W. A Simple and Efficient Method to Generate Dual Site-Specific Conjugation ADCs with Cysteine Residue and an Unnatural Amino Acid. Bioconjug Chem 2021; 32:1094-1104. [PMID: 34013721 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.1c00134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are complex pharmaceutical molecules that combine monoclonal antibodies with biologically active drugs through chemical linkers. ADCs are designed to specifically kill disease cells by utilizing the target specificity of antibodies and the cytotoxicity of chemical drugs. However, the traditional ADCs were only applied to a few disease targets because of some limitations such as the huge molecular weight, the uncontrollable coupling reactions, and a single mechanism of action. Here we report a simple, one-pot, successive reaction method to produce dual payload conjugates with the site-specifically engineered cysteine and p-acetyl-phenylalanine using Herceptin (trastuzumab), an anti-HER2 antibody drug widely used for breast cancer treatment, as a tool molecule. This strategy enables antibodies to conjugate with two mechanistically distinct cytotoxic drugs through different functional groups sequentially, therefore, rendering the newly designed ADCs with functional diversity and the potential to overcome drug resistance and enhance the therapeutic efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zewei Wang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhiyuan Wang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fang Luo
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Mingfeng Guan
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Meimei Xu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yundong Li
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yaoyang Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhaoyin Wang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wenyuan Wang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
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8
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Kang TH, Seong BL. Solubility, Stability, and Avidity of Recombinant Antibody Fragments Expressed in Microorganisms. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1927. [PMID: 33101218 PMCID: PMC7546209 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Solubility of recombinant proteins (i.e., the extent of soluble versus insoluble expression in heterogeneous hosts) is the first checkpoint criterion for determining recombinant protein quality. However, even soluble proteins often fail to represent functional activity because of the involvement of non-functional, misfolded, soluble aggregates, which compromise recombinant protein quality. Therefore, screening of solubility and folding competence is crucial for improving the quality of recombinant proteins, especially for therapeutic applications. The issue is often highlighted especially in bacterial recombinant hosts, since bacterial cytoplasm does not provide an optimal environment for the folding of target proteins of mammalian origin. Antibody fragments, such as single-chain variable fragment (scFv), single-chain antibody (scAb), and fragment antigen binding (Fab), have been utilized for numerous applications such as diagnostics, research reagents, or therapeutics. Antibody fragments can be efficiently expressed in microorganisms so that they offer several advantages for diagnostic applications such as low cost and high yield. However, scFv and scAb fragments have generally lower stability to thermal stress than full-length antibodies, necessitating a judicious combination of designer antibodies, and bacterial hosts harnessed with robust chaperone function. In this review, we discuss efforts on not only the production of antibodies or antibody fragments in microorganisms but also scFv stabilization via (i) directed evolution of variants with increased stability using display systems, (ii) stabilization of the interface between variable regions of heavy (VH) and light (VL) chains through the introduction of a non-native covalent bond between the two chains, (iii) rational engineering of VH-VL pair, based on the structure, and (iv) computational approaches. We also review recent advances in stability design, increase in avidity by multimerization, and maintaining the functional competence of chimeric proteins prompted by various types of chaperones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Hyun Kang
- Biopharmaceutical Chemistry Major, School of Applied Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Baik Lin Seong
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.,Vaccine Innovative Technology ALliance (VITAL)-Korea, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
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9
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Harnessing the Power of Eph/ephrin Biosemiotics for Theranostic Applications. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:ph13060112. [PMID: 32492868 PMCID: PMC7345574 DOI: 10.3390/ph13060112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Comprehensive basic biological knowledge of the Eph/ephrin system in the physiologic setting is needed to facilitate an understanding of its role and the effects of pathological processes on its activity, thereby paving the way for development of prospective therapeutic targets. To this end, this review briefly addresses what is currently known and being investigated in order to highlight the gaps and possible avenues for further investigation to capitalize on their diverse potential.
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10
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Cnudde T, Lakhrif Z, Bourgoin J, Boursin F, Horiot C, Henriquet C, di Tommaso A, Juste MO, Jiacomini IG, Dimier-Poisson I, Pugnière M, Mévélec MN, Aubrey N. Exploration and Modulation of Antibody Fragment Biophysical Properties by Replacing the Framework Region Sequences. Antibodies (Basel) 2020; 9:antib9020009. [PMID: 32326443 PMCID: PMC7344962 DOI: 10.3390/antib9020009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In order to increase the successful development of recombinant antibodies and fragments, it seems fundamental to enhance their expression and/or biophysical properties, such as the thermal, chemical, and pH stabilities. In this study, we employed a method bases on replacing the antibody framework region sequences, in order to promote more particularly single-chain Fragment variable (scFv) product quality. We provide evidence that mutations of the VH- C-C′ loop might significantly improve the prokaryote production of well-folded and functional fragments with a production yield multiplied by 27 times. Additional mutations are accountable for an increase in the thermal (+19.6 °C) and chemical (+1.9 M) stabilities have also been identified. Furthermore, the hereby-produced fragments have shown to remain stable at a pH of 2.0, which avoids molecule functional and structural impairments during the purification process. Lastly, this study provides relevant information to the understanding of the relationship between the antibodies amino acid sequences and their respective biophysical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Cnudde
- INRAE, ISP, Université de Tours, F-37000 Tours, France; (T.C.); (Z.L.)
| | - Zineb Lakhrif
- INRAE, ISP, Université de Tours, F-37000 Tours, France; (T.C.); (Z.L.)
| | - Justine Bourgoin
- INRAE, ISP, Université de Tours, F-37000 Tours, France; (T.C.); (Z.L.)
| | - Fanny Boursin
- INRAE, ISP, Université de Tours, F-37000 Tours, France; (T.C.); (Z.L.)
| | - Catherine Horiot
- INRAE, ISP, Université de Tours, F-37000 Tours, France; (T.C.); (Z.L.)
| | - Corinne Henriquet
- IRCM, Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, INSERM, U1194, Université Montpellier, ICM Institut Régional du Cancer, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Anne di Tommaso
- INRAE, ISP, Université de Tours, F-37000 Tours, France; (T.C.); (Z.L.)
| | | | - Isabella Gizzi Jiacomini
- Laboratório de Imunoquímica, Departamento de Patologia Básica, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 81530, PR, Brazil
| | | | - Martine Pugnière
- IRCM, Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, INSERM, U1194, Université Montpellier, ICM Institut Régional du Cancer, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | | | - Nicolas Aubrey
- INRAE, ISP, Université de Tours, F-37000 Tours, France; (T.C.); (Z.L.)
- Correspondence:
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11
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De Munter S, Van Parys A, Bral L, Ingels J, Goetgeluk G, Bonte S, Pille M, Billiet L, Weening K, Verhee A, Van der Heyden J, Taghon T, Leclercq G, Kerre T, Tavernier J, Vandekerckhove B. Rapid and Effective Generation of Nanobody Based CARs using PCR and Gibson Assembly. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21030883. [PMID: 32019116 PMCID: PMC7037261 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent approval of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy by the European Medicines Agency (EMA)/Federal and Drug Administration (FDA) and the remarkable results of CAR T clinical trials illustrate the curative potential of this therapy. While CARs against a multitude of different antigens are being developed and tested (pre)clinically, there is still a need for optimization. The use of single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) as targeting moieties hampers the quick generation of functional CARs and could potentially limit the efficacy. Instead, nanobodies may largely circumvent these difficulties. We used an available nanobody library generated after immunization of llamas against Cluster of Differentiation (CD) 20 through DNA vaccination or against the ectodomain of CD33 using soluble protein. The nanobody specific sequences were amplified by PCR and cloned by Gibson Assembly into a retroviral vector containing two different second-generation CAR constructs. After transduction in T cells, we observed high cell membrane nanoCAR expression in all cases. Following stimulation of nanoCAR-expressing T cells with antigen-positive cell lines, robust T cell activation, cytokine production and tumor cell lysis both in vitro and in vivo was observed. The use of nanobody technology in combination with PCR and Gibson Assembly allows for the rapid and effective generation of compact CARs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stijn De Munter
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Alexander Van Parys
- Cytokine Receptor Laboratory, Flanders Institute of Biotechnology, VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Layla Bral
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Joline Ingels
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Glenn Goetgeluk
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sarah Bonte
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Melissa Pille
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lore Billiet
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karin Weening
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Annick Verhee
- Cytokine Receptor Laboratory, Flanders Institute of Biotechnology, VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jose Van der Heyden
- Cytokine Receptor Laboratory, Flanders Institute of Biotechnology, VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tom Taghon
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Georges Leclercq
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tessa Kerre
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jan Tavernier
- Cytokine Receptor Laboratory, Flanders Institute of Biotechnology, VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bart Vandekerckhove
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Correspondence:
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12
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Hanley T, Yin R, Mac JT, Tan W, Anvari B. Functionalized erythrocyte-derived optical nanoparticles to target ephrin-B2 ligands. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2019; 24:1-9. [PMID: 31429216 PMCID: PMC6983482 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.24.8.085002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Over- or under-expression of erythropoietin-production human hepatocellular receptors (Eph) and their ligands are associated with various diseases. Therefore, these molecular biomarkers can potentially be used as binding targets for the delivery of therapeutic and/or imaging agents to cells characterized by such irregular expressions. We have engineered nanoparticles derived from erythrocytes and doped with the near-infrared (NIR) FDA-approved dye, indocyanine green. We refer to these nanoparticles as NIR erythrocyte-derived transducers (NETs). We functionalized the NETs with the ligand-binding domain of a particular Eph receptor, EphB1, to target the genetically modified human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (hDMVECs) with coexpression of EphB1 receptor and its ligand ephrin-B2. This cell model mimics the pathological phenotypes of lesional endothelial cells (ECs) in port wine stains (PWSs). Our quantitative fluorescence imaging results demonstrate that such functionalized NETs bind to the ephrin-B2 ligands on these hDMVECs in a dose-dependent manner that varies sigmoidally with the number density of the particles. These nanoparticles may potentially serve as agents to target PWS lesional ECs and other diseases characterized with over-expression of Eph receptors or their associated ligands to mediate phototherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Hanley
- University of California, Riverside, Department of Bioengineering, Riverside, California, United States
| | - Rong Yin
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Columbia, South Carolina, United States
| | - Jenny T. Mac
- University of California, Riverside, Department of Biochemistry, Riverside, California, United States
| | - Wenbin Tan
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Columbia, South Carolina, United States
| | - Bahman Anvari
- University of California, Riverside, Department of Bioengineering, Riverside, California, United States
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13
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Valadon P, Pérez-Tapia SM, Nelson RS, Guzmán-Bringas OU, Arrieta-Oliva HI, Gómez-Castellano KM, Pohl MA, Almagro JC. ALTHEA Gold Libraries™: antibody libraries for therapeutic antibody discovery. MAbs 2019; 11:516-531. [PMID: 30663541 PMCID: PMC6512909 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2019.1571879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
We describe here the design, construction and validation of ALTHEA Gold Libraries™. These single-chain variable fragment (scFv), semisynthetic libraries are built on synthetic human well-known IGHV and IGKV germline genes combined with natural human complementarity-determining region (CDR)-H3/JH (H3J) fragments. One IGHV gene provided a universal VH scaffold and was paired with two IGKV scaffolds to furnish different topographies for binding distinct epitopes. The scaffolds were diversified at positions identified as in contact with antigens in the known antigen-antibody complex structures. The diversification regime consisted of high-usage amino acids found at those positions in human antibody sequences. Functionality, stability and diversity of the libraries were improved throughout a three-step construction process. In a first step, fully synthetic primary libraries were generated by combining the diversified scaffolds with a set of synthetic neutral H3J germline gene fragments. The second step consisted of selecting the primary libraries for enhanced thermostability based on the natural capacity of Protein A to bind the universal VH scaffold. In the third and final step, the resultant stable synthetic antibody fragments were combined with natural H3J fragments obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a large pool of 200 donors. Validation of ALTHEA Gold Libraries™ with seven targets yielded specific antibodies in all the cases. Further characterization of the isolated antibodies indicated KD values as human IgG1 molecules in the single-digit and sub-nM range. The thermal stability (Tm) of all the antigen-binding fragments was 75°C–80°C, demonstrating that ALTHEA Gold Libraries™ are a valuable source of specific, high affinity and highly stable antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Mary Ann Pohl
- c Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute , New York , NY , USA
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14
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Ayyar BV, Atassi MZ. Development of humanized scFv antibody fragment(s) that targets and blocks specific HLA alleles linked to myasthenia gravis. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2017; 101:8165-8179. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-017-8557-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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15
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Pietersz GA, Wang X, Yap ML, Lim B, Peter K. Therapeutic targeting in nanomedicine: the future lies in recombinant antibodies. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2017; 12:1873-1889. [PMID: 28703636 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2017-0043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The unique chemical and functional properties of nanoparticles can be harnessed for the delivery of large quantities of various therapeutic biomolecules. Active targeting of nanoparticles by conjugating ligands that bind to target cells strongly facilitates accumulation, internalization into target cells and longer retention at the target site, with consequent enhanced therapeutic effects. Recombinant antibodies with high selectivity and availability for a vast range of targets will dominate the future. In this review, we systematically outline the tremendous progress in the conjugation of antibodies to nanoparticles and the clear advantages that recombinant antibodies offer in the therapeutic targeting of nanoparticles. The demonstrated flexibility of recombinant antibody coupling to nanoparticles highlights the bright future of this technology for modern therapeutic nanomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey A Pietersz
- Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Immunology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,Burnet Institute, Centre for Biomedical Research, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Xiaowei Wang
- Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - May Lin Yap
- Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Bock Lim
- Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Karlheinz Peter
- Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Immunology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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16
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Ayyar BV, Arora S, Ravi SS. Optimizing antibody expression: The nuts and bolts. Methods 2017; 116:51-62. [PMID: 28163103 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2017.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Revised: 01/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibodies are extensively utilized entities in biomedical research, and in the development of diagnostics and therapeutics. Many of these applications require high amounts of antibodies. However, meeting this ever-increasing demand of antibodies in the global market is one of the outstanding challenges. The need to maintain a balance between demand and supply of antibodies has led the researchers to discover better means and methods for optimizing their expression. These strategies aim to increase the volumetric productivity of the antibodies along with the reduction of associated manufacturing costs. Recent years have witnessed major advances in recombinant protein technology, owing to the introduction of novel cloning strategies, gene manipulation techniques, and an array of cell and vector engineering techniques, together with the progress in fermentation technologies. These innovations were also highly beneficial for antibody expression. Antibody expression depends upon the complex interplay of multiple factors that may require fine tuning at diverse levels to achieve maximum yields. However, each antibody is unique and requires individual consideration and customization for optimizing the associated expression parameters. This review provides a comprehensive overview of several state-of-the-art approaches, such as host selection, strain engineering, codon optimization, gene optimization, vector modification and process optimization that are deemed suitable for enhancing antibody expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Vijayalakshmi Ayyar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sushrut Arora
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Shiva Shankar Ravi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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17
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Liu C, Zhang X, Song Y, Wang Y, Zhang F, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Lan X. SPECT and fluorescence imaging of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque with a vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 single-chain antibody fragment. Atherosclerosis 2016; 254:263-270. [PMID: 27680307 DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2016.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2016] [Revised: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Early detection and evaluation of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque are important for risk stratification and timely intervention, and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1) assists in adhesion and recruitment of inflammatory cells to vulnerable lesions. We labeled a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) of VCAM1 with 99mtechnetium (99mTc) and fluorescent markers to investigate its potential utility in detecting vulnerable plaques in animal models of atherosclerosis. METHODS We labeled VCAM1 scFv with 99mTc and cyanine5 (CY5) and evaluated the probes on apolipoprotein E gene-deficient mice and New Zealand White rabbits with induced atherosclerosis. Histopathology and Western blot examinations confirmed atherosclerotic plaque and VCAM1 expression in the aortas. In vivo biodistribution of 99mTc-scFv-VCAM1 was studied. Abdominal organs of mice were removed after CY5-scFv-VCAM1 administration for aortic fluorescence imaging. Rabbits SPECT imaging of 99mTc-scFv-VCAM1 was performed and autoradiography (ARG) of the aortas was checked to confirm the tracer uptake. RESULTS The radiochemical purity of 99mTc-scFv-VCAM1 was 98.72± 1.04% (n = 5) and its specific activity was 7.8 MBq/μg. Biodistribution study indicated predominant probe clearance by kidneys. In fluorescence imaging, stronger signal from CY5-scFv-VCAM1 in the aorta was observed in atherosclerotic mice than that in controls. SPECT imaging with 99mTc-scFv-VCAM1 showed tracer uptake in the abdominal aorta and the aortic arch of atherosclerotic animals. ARG confirmed tracer uptake in the aortas of atherosclerotic rabbits, with higher uptake ratios of aortic arch/descending aorta in experimental animals (4.45 ± 0.63, n = 5) than controls (1.12 ± 0.15, n = 5; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS SPECT and fluorescence imaging results showed the feasibility and effectiveness of detecting vulnerable plaque with scFv of VCAM1, indicating its potential for early diagnosis and evaluation of atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunbao Liu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China; Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China; Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Yiling Song
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China; Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Yichun Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China; Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Fengzhen Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China; Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Yingying Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China; Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Yongxue Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China; Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
| | - Xiaoli Lan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China; Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
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18
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Rhoden JJ, Dyas GL, Wroblewski VJ. A Modeling and Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Antigen Density, Binding Affinity, and Antigen Expression Ratio on Bispecific Antibody Binding to Cell Surface Targets. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:11337-47. [PMID: 27022022 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.714287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the increasing number of multivalent antibodies, bispecific antibodies, fusion proteins, and targeted nanoparticles that have been generated and studied, the mechanism of multivalent binding to cell surface targets is not well understood. Here, we describe a conceptual and mathematical model of multivalent antibody binding to cell surface antigens. Our model predicts that properties beyond 1:1 antibody:antigen affinity to target antigens have a strong influence on multivalent binding. Predicted crucial properties include the structure and flexibility of the antibody construct, the target antigen(s) and binding epitope(s), and the density of antigens on the cell surface. For bispecific antibodies, the ratio of the expression levels of the two target antigens is predicted to be critical to target binding, particularly for the lower expressed of the antigens. Using bispecific antibodies of different valencies to cell surface antigens including MET and EGF receptor, we have experimentally validated our modeling approach and its predictions and observed several nonintuitive effects of avidity related to antigen density, target ratio, and antibody affinity. In some biological circumstances, the effect we have predicted and measured varied from the monovalent binding interaction by several orders of magnitude. Moreover, our mathematical framework affords us a mechanistic interpretation of our observations and suggests strategies to achieve the desired antibody-antigen binding goals. These mechanistic insights have implications in antibody engineering and structure/activity relationship determination in a variety of biological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Rhoden
- From the Department of Drug Disposition, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana 46285
| | - Gregory L Dyas
- From the Department of Drug Disposition, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana 46285
| | - Victor J Wroblewski
- From the Department of Drug Disposition, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana 46285
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19
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Tu C, Terraube V, Tam ASP, Stochaj W, Fennell BJ, Lin L, Stahl M, LaVallie ER, Somers W, Finlay WJJ, Mosyak L, Bard J, Cunningham O. A Combination of Structural and Empirical Analyses Delineates the Key Contacts Mediating Stability and Affinity Increases in an Optimized Biotherapeutic Single-chain Fv (scFv). J Biol Chem 2015; 291:1267-76. [PMID: 26515064 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.688010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Fully-human single-chain Fv (scFv) proteins are key potential building blocks of bispecific therapeutic antibodies, but they often suffer from manufacturability and clinical development limitations such as instability and aggregation. The causes of these scFv instability problems, in proteins that should be theoretically stable, remains poorly understood. To inform the future development of such molecules, we carried out a comprehensive structural analysis of the highly stabilized anti-CXCL13 scFv E10. E10 was derived from the parental 3B4 using complementarity-determining region (CDR)-restricted mutagenesis and tailored selection and screening strategies, and carries four mutations in VL-CDR3. High-resolution crystal structures of parental 3B4 and optimized E10 scFvs were solved in the presence and absence of human CXCL13. In parallel, a series of scFv mutants was generated to interrogate the individual contribution of each of the four mutations to stability and affinity improvements. In combination, these analyses demonstrated that the optimization of E10 was primarily mediated by removing clashes between both the VL and the VH, and between the VL and CXCL13. Importantly, a single, germline-encoded VL-CDR3 residue mediated the key difference between the stable and unstable forms of the scFv. This work demonstrates that, aside from being the critical mediators of specificity and affinity, CDRs may also be the primary drivers of biotherapeutic developability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Tu
- From Global Biotherapeutics Technologies, Pfizer R&D, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140 and
| | - Virginie Terraube
- Global Biotherapeutics Technologies, Pfizer R&D, Grange Castle Business Park, Dublin D22, Ireland
| | - Amy Sze Pui Tam
- From Global Biotherapeutics Technologies, Pfizer R&D, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140 and
| | - Wayne Stochaj
- From Global Biotherapeutics Technologies, Pfizer R&D, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140 and
| | - Brian J Fennell
- Global Biotherapeutics Technologies, Pfizer R&D, Grange Castle Business Park, Dublin D22, Ireland
| | - Laura Lin
- From Global Biotherapeutics Technologies, Pfizer R&D, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140 and
| | - Mark Stahl
- From Global Biotherapeutics Technologies, Pfizer R&D, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140 and
| | - Edward R LaVallie
- From Global Biotherapeutics Technologies, Pfizer R&D, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140 and
| | - Will Somers
- From Global Biotherapeutics Technologies, Pfizer R&D, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140 and
| | - William J J Finlay
- Global Biotherapeutics Technologies, Pfizer R&D, Grange Castle Business Park, Dublin D22, Ireland
| | - Lydia Mosyak
- From Global Biotherapeutics Technologies, Pfizer R&D, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140 and
| | - Joel Bard
- From Global Biotherapeutics Technologies, Pfizer R&D, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140 and
| | - Orla Cunningham
- Global Biotherapeutics Technologies, Pfizer R&D, Grange Castle Business Park, Dublin D22, Ireland
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