1
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Oyama K, Nakakido M, Ohkuri T, Nakamura H, Tsumoto K, Ueda T. Enhancing thermal stability in the CH 2 domain to suppress aggregation through the introduction of simultaneous disulfide bonds in Pichia pastoris. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4831. [PMID: 37924310 PMCID: PMC10680342 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Protein aggregations decrease production yields and impair the efficacy of therapeutics. The CH2 domain is a crucial part of the constant region of human IgG. But, it is also the least stable domain in IgG, which can result in antibody instability and aggregation problems. We created a novel mutant of the CH2 domain (T250C/L314C, mut10) by introducing a disulfide bond and expressed it using Pichia pastoris. The mut10 variant exhibited enhanced thermal stability, resistance to enzymatic degradation, and reduced aggregation in comparison to the original CH2 domain. However, it was less stable than mut20 (L242C/K334C), which is the variant prepared in a previous study (Gong et al., J. Biol. Chem., 2009). A more advanced mutant, mut25, was created by combining mut10 and mut20. Mut25 artificially contains two disulfide bonds. The new mutant, mut25, showed enhanced thermal stability, increased resistance to enzymatic digestion, and reduced aggregation in comparison to mut20. According to our knowledge, mut25 achieves an unprecedented level of stability among the humanized whole CH2 domains that have been reported so far. Mut25 has the potential to serve as a new platform for antibody therapeutics due to its ability to reduce immunogenicity by decreasing aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Oyama
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical SciencesKyushu UniversityFukuokaJapan
| | - Makoto Nakakido
- Graduate School of EngineeringThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | | | - Hitomi Nakamura
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical SciencesSojo UniversityKumamotoJapan
| | - Kouhei Tsumoto
- Graduate School of EngineeringThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Tadashi Ueda
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical SciencesKyushu UniversityFukuokaJapan
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2
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Kibria MG, Shiwaku Y, Brindha S, Kuroda Y. Biophysical and biochemical nature of amorphous protein oligomers determines the strength of immune response and the generation of T-cell memory. FEBS J 2023; 290:4712-4725. [PMID: 37287403 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Here, we used domain 3 of dengue virus serotype 3 envelope protein (D3ED3), a natively folded globular low-immunogenicity protein, to ask whether the biophysical nature of amorphous oligomers can affect immunogenicity. We prepared nearly identical 30 ~ 50 nm-sized amorphous oligomers in five distinct ways and looked at any correlation between their biophysical properties and immunogenicity. One oligomer type was produced using our SCP tag (solubility controlling peptide) made of 5 isoleucines (C5I). The others were prepared by miss-shuffling the SS bonds (Ms), heating (Ht), stirring (St) and freeze-thaw (FT). Dynamic light scattering showed that all five formulations contained oligomers of approximately identical sizes with hydrodynamic radii (Rh) between 30 and 55 nm. Circular dichroism (cd) indicated that the secondary structure content of oligomers formed by stirring and freeze-thaw was essentially identical to that of the native monomeric D3ED3. The secondary structure content of the Ms showed moderate changes, whereas the C5I and heat-induced (Ht) oligomers exhibited a significant change. The Ms contained D3ED3 with intermolecular SS bonds as assessed by nonreducing size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Immunization in JcL:ICR mice showed that both C5I and Ms significantly increased the anti-D3ED3 IgG titre. Ht, St and FT were only mildly immunogenic, similar to the monomeric D3ED3. Cell surface CD marker analysis by flow cytometry confirmed that immunization with Ms generated a strong central and effector T-cell memory. Our observations indeed suggest that controlled oligomerization can provide a new, adjuvant-free method for increasing a protein's immunogenicity, yielding a potentially powerful platform for protein-based (subunit) vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Golam Kibria
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei-shi, Japan
| | - Yukari Shiwaku
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei-shi, Japan
| | - Subbaian Brindha
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei-shi, Japan
- Institute of Global Innovation Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu-Shi, Japan
| | - Yutaka Kuroda
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei-shi, Japan
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3
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Simhadri VL, McGill JR, Sauna ZE. Endotoxin contamination in commercially available Cas9 proteins potentially induces T-cell mediated responses. Gene Ther 2023; 30:575-580. [PMID: 34744169 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-021-00301-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Immune responses to Cas proteins have been demonstrated recently and these may prove to be an impediment to their clinical use in gene editing. To make meaningful assessments of Cas9 immunogenicity during drug development and licensure it is imperative the reagents are free of impurities that could affect in vitro assessments of immunogenicity. Here we address the issue of endotoxin levels in laboratory grade Cas9 proteins used to measure T-cell memory responses. Many of these reagents have not been developed for immunogenicity assays, are or microbial origin and carry varying levels of endotoxin. The use of these reagents, off the shelf, without measuring endotoxin levels is likely to introduce incorrect estimates of the prevalence of memory T-cell responses in research studies. We demonstrate wide variation in endotoxin levels in Cas9 proteins from seven suppliers. Different lots from the same supplier also contained varying levels of endotoxin. ELISPOT assays showed similar large variations in the interferon-γ signals. Finally, when we carried out endotoxin depletion in four Cas9 proteins with strong signals in the ELISPOT assay, we found dampening of the interferon-γ signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijaya L Simhadri
- Hemostasis Branch, Division of Plasma Protein Therapeutics, Office of Tissues and Advanced Therapies, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Joseph R McGill
- Hemostasis Branch, Division of Plasma Protein Therapeutics, Office of Tissues and Advanced Therapies, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Zuben E Sauna
- Hemostasis Branch, Division of Plasma Protein Therapeutics, Office of Tissues and Advanced Therapies, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
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4
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Rojekar S, Pallapati AR, Gimenez-Roig J, Korkmaz F, Sultana F, Sant D, Haeck C, Macdonald A, Kim SM, Rosen CJ, Barak O, Meseck M, Caminis J, Lizneva D, Yuen T, Zaidi M. Development and Biophysical Characterization of a Humanized FSH-Blocking Monoclonal Antibody Therapeutic Formulated at an Ultra-High Concentration. bioRxiv 2023:2023.05.11.540323. [PMID: 37214886 PMCID: PMC10197643 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.11.540323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Highly concentrated antibody formulations are oftentimes required for subcutaneous, self-administered biologics. Here, we report the creation of a unique formulation for our first-in- class FSH-blocking humanized antibody, MS-Hu6, which we propose to move to the clinic for osteoporosis, obesity, and Alzheimer's disease. The studies were carried out using our Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) platform, compliant with the Code of Federal Regulations (Title 21, Part 58). We first used protein thermal shift, size exclusion chromatography, and dynamic light scattering to examine MS-Hu6 concentrations between 1 and 100 mg/mL. We found that thermal, monomeric, and colloidal stability of formulated MS-Hu6 was maintained at a concentration of 100 mg/mL. The addition of the antioxidant L-methionine and chelating agent disodium EDTA improved the formulation's long-term colloidal and thermal stability. Thermal stability was further confirmed by Nano differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Physiochemical properties of formulated MS-Hu6, including viscosity, turbidity, and clarity, conformed with acceptable industry standards. That the structural integrity of MS-Hu6 in formulation was maintained was proven through Circular Dichroism (CD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Three rapid freeze-thaw cycles at -80°C/25°C or -80°C/37°C further revealed excellent thermal and colloidal stability. Furthermore, formulated MS-Hu6, particularly its Fab domain, displayed thermal and monomeric storage stability for more than 90 days at 4°C and 25°C. Finally, the unfolding temperature (T m ) for formulated MS-Hu6 increased by >4.80°C upon binding to recombinant FSH, indicating highly specific ligand binding. Overall, we document the feasibility of developing a stable, manufacturable and transportable MS-Hu6 formulation at a ultra-high concentration at industry standards. The study should become a resource for developing biologic formulations in academic medical centers.
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5
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Sant D, Rojekar S, Gera S, Pallapati AR, Gimenez-Roig J, Kuo TC, Padilla A, Korkmaz F, Cullen L, Chatterjee J, Shelly E, Meseck M, Miyashita S, Macdonald A, Sultana F, Barak O, Ryu V, Kim SM, Robinson C, Rosen CJ, Caminis J, Lizneva D, Haider S, Yuen T, Zaidi M. Optimizing a therapeutic humanized follicle-stimulating hormone-blocking antibody formulation by protein thermal shift assay. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1521:67-78. [PMID: 36628526 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Biopharmaceutical products are formulated using several Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved excipients within the inactive ingredient limit to maintain their storage stability and shelf life. Here, we have screened and optimized different sets of excipient combinations to yield a thermally stable formulation for the humanized follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)-blocking antibody, MS-Hu6. We used a protein thermal shift assay in which rising temperatures resulted in the maximal unfolding of the protein at the melting temperature (Tm ). To determine the buffer and pH for a stable solution, four different buffers with a pH range from 3 to 8 were screened. This resulted in maximal Tm s at pH 5.62 for Fab in phosphate buffer and at pH 6.85 for Fc in histidine buffer. Upon testing a range of salt concentrations, MS-Hu6 was found to be more stable at lower concentrations, likely due to reduced hydrophobic effects. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed a higher root-mean-square deviation with 1 mM than with 100 mM salt, indicating enhanced stability, as noted experimentally. Among the stabilizers tested, Tween 20 was found to yield the highest Tm and reversed the salt effect. Among several polyols/sugars, trehalose and sucrose were found to produce higher thermal stabilities. Finally, binding of recombinant human FSH to MS-Hu6 in a final formulation (20 mM phosphate buffer, 1 mM NaCl, 0.001% w/v Tween 20, and 260 mM trehalose) resulted in a thermal shift (increase in Tm ) for the Fab, but expectedly not in the Fc domain. Given that we used a low dose of MS-Hu6 (1 μM), the next challenge would be to determine whether 100-fold higher, industry-standard concentrations are equally stable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damini Sant
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Satish Rojekar
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sakshi Gera
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Anusha R Pallapati
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Judit Gimenez-Roig
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Tan-Chun Kuo
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ashley Padilla
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Funda Korkmaz
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Liam Cullen
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jiya Chatterjee
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Eleanor Shelly
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Marcia Meseck
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sari Miyashita
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Anne Macdonald
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Farhath Sultana
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Orly Barak
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Vitaly Ryu
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Se-Min Kim
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Cemre Robinson
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Clifford J Rosen
- Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Scarborough, Maine, USA
| | - John Caminis
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Daria Lizneva
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Shozeb Haider
- Centre for Advanced Research Computing, School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tony Yuen
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mone Zaidi
- Center for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology and Departments of Medicine and of Pharmacology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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6
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Abstract
Amorphous protein aggregates are oligomers that lack specific, high-order structures. Soluble amorphous aggregates are smaller than ~1 µm. Despite their lack of high-order structure, amorphous protein aggregates exhibit specific biophysical properties such as reversibility of formation, density, conformation, and biochemical stability. Our mutational analysis using a Solubility Controlling Peptide (SCP) tag strongly suggests that amorphous aggregation of small globular proteins can significantly increase in vivo immune response and that the magnitude of enhanced immune responses depends on the aggregates' biophysical and biochemical properties. We propose that SCP tags might help develop subunit (protein) adjuvant-free (immunostimulant-free) vaccines by controlling the aggregation propensity of target proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaka Kuroda
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-Shi, Tokyo, 184-8588 Japan
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7
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Bunc M, Hadži S, Graf C, Bončina M, Lah J. Aggregation Time Machine: A Platform for the Prediction and Optimization of Long-Term Antibody Stability Using Short-Term Kinetic Analysis. J Med Chem 2022; 65:2623-2632. [PMID: 35090111 PMCID: PMC8842250 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c02010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Monoclonal antibodies
are the fastest growing class of therapeutics.
However, aggregation limits their shelf life and can lead to adverse
immune responses. Assessment and optimization of the long-term antibody
stability are therefore key challenges in the biologic drug development.
Here, we present a platform based on the analysis of temperature-dependent
aggregation data that can dramatically shorten the assessment of the
long-term aggregation stability and thus accelerate the optimization
of antibody formulations. For a set of antibodies used in the therapeutic
areas from oncology to rheumatology and osteoporosis, we obtain an
accurate prediction of aggregate fractions for up to three years using
the data obtained on a much shorter time scale. Significantly, the
strategy combining kinetic and thermodynamic analysis not only contributes
to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of antibody
aggregation but has already proven to be very effective in the development
and production of biological therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marko Bunc
- Technical Research and Development, Global Drug Development, Novartis, Lek d.d., 1234 Mengeš, Slovenia.,Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - San Hadži
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Christian Graf
- Technical Research and Development, Global Drug Development, Novartis, Hexal AG, 82041 Oberhaching, Germany
| | - Matjaž Bončina
- Technical Research and Development, Global Drug Development, Novartis, Lek d.d., 1234 Mengeš, Slovenia
| | - Jurij Lah
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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8
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Choy CH, He L, Tulumello D, Gajewska B, Terebiznik MR, Botelho RJ, Azizi A. Aggregation and Size Attributes Analysis of Unadsorbed and Adjuvant-adsorbed Antigens using a Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometer Platform. J Pharm Sci 2021; 111:672-679. [PMID: 34742727 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2021.10.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Various vaccine quality attributes should be monitored to ensure consistency, potency, purity, and safety of vaccine products prior to lot release. Vaccine particle size and protein antigen aggregation are two important considerations for particle-adsorbed vaccines. In this study, we evaluated the use of imaging flow cytometry as a potential all-in-one platform to measure adjuvant particle size and to detect protein aggregates through a combination of brightfield microscopy, side scatter detection, and fluorescence microscopy. An aluminum phosphate adjuvant was analyzed for size using the brightfield function, and the size measurement was compared against laser diffraction. Heat-induced protein aggregates of either unadsorbed antigens or aluminum phosphate adjuvant-adsorbed antigens were stained with the fluorescent ProteoStat aggregation dye, followed by detection and analysis using a combination of the brightfield and fluorescence microscopy functions. The change in aggregation of unadsorbed antigens was confirmed using dynamic light scattering. These results demonstrate the versatility of the imaging flow cytometry platform for the evaluation of multiple vaccine quality characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H Choy
- Immunology platform, Analytical Sciences North America, Sanofi Pasteur, 1755 Steeles Avenue West, Toronto, ON, M2R 3T4, Canada; Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Liwei He
- Immunology platform, Analytical Sciences North America, Sanofi Pasteur, 1755 Steeles Avenue West, Toronto, ON, M2R 3T4, Canada
| | - David Tulumello
- Biochemistry platform, Analytical Sciences North America, Sanofi Pasteur, 1755 Steeles Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, M2R 3T4, Canada
| | - Beata Gajewska
- Immunology platform, Analytical Sciences North America, Sanofi Pasteur, 1755 Steeles Avenue West, Toronto, ON, M2R 3T4, Canada
| | - Mauricio R Terebiznik
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Roberto J Botelho
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Ali Azizi
- Immunology platform, Analytical Sciences North America, Sanofi Pasteur, 1755 Steeles Avenue West, Toronto, ON, M2R 3T4, Canada.
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9
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Austerberry J, Edwards J, Eyes T, Derrick JP. Use of Peptide Microarrays for Fast and Informative Profiling of Therapeutic Antibody Formulation Conditions. Mol Pharm 2021; 18:4131-4139. [PMID: 34658237 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.1c00543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Methods to optimize the solution behavior of therapeutic proteins are frequently time-consuming, provide limited information, and often use milligram quantities of material. Here, we present a simple, versatile method that provides valuable information to guide the identification and comparison of formulation conditions for, in principle, any biopharmaceutical drug. The subject protein is incubated with a designed synthetic peptide microarray; the extent of binding to each peptide is dependent on the solution conditions. The array is washed, and the adhesion of the subject protein is detected using a secondary antibody. We exemplify the method using a well-characterized human single-chain Fv and a selection of human monoclonal antibodies. Correlations of peptide adhesion profiles can be used to establish quantitative relationships between different solution conditions, allowing subgrouping into dendrograms. Multidimensional reduction methods, such as t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding, can be applied to compare how different monoclonals vary in their adhesion properties under different solution conditions. Finally, we screened peptide binding profiles using a selection of monoclonal antibodies for which a range of biophysical measurements were available under specified buffer conditions. We used a neural network method to train the data against aggregation temperature, kD, percentage recovery after incubation at 25 °C, and melting temperature. The results demonstrate that peptide binding profiles can indeed be effectively trained on these indicators of protein stability and self-association in solution. The method opens up multiple possibilities for the application of machine learning methods in therapeutic protein formulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Austerberry
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - John Edwards
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Tim Eyes
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy P Derrick
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
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10
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Lundahl MLE, Fogli S, Colavita PE, Scanlan EM. Aggregation of protein therapeutics enhances their immunogenicity: causes and mitigation strategies. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:1004-1020. [PMID: 34458822 PMCID: PMC8341748 DOI: 10.1039/d1cb00067e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein aggregation in biotherapeutics has been identified to increase immunogenicity, leading to immune-mediated adverse effects, such as severe allergic responses including anaphylaxis. The induction of anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) moreover enhances drug clearance rates, and can directly block therapeutic function. In this review, identified immune activation mechanisms triggered by protein aggregates are discussed, as well as physicochemical properties of aggregates, such as size and shape, which contribute to immunogenicity. Furthermore, factors which contribute to protein stability and aggregation are considered. Lastly, with these factors in mind, we encourage an innovative and multidisciplinary approach with regard to further research in the field, with the overall aim to avoid immunogenic aggregation in future drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mimmi L E Lundahl
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin Dublin 2 Ireland
| | - Silvia Fogli
- Glycome Biopharma, Unit 4, Joyce House, Barrack Square, Ballincollig Co Cork P31 HW35 Ireland
| | - Paula E Colavita
- School of Chemistry and Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin Dublin 2 Ireland
| | - Eoin M Scanlan
- School of Chemistry and Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin Dublin 2 Ireland
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11
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Golam Kibria M, Akazawa-Ogawa Y, Hagihara Y, Kuroda Y. Immune response with long-term memory triggered by amorphous aggregates of misfolded anti-EGFR V HH-7D12 is directed against the native V HH-7D12 as well as the framework of the analogous V HH-9G8. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2021; 165:13-21. [PMID: 33971271 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2021.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that amorphous aggregates of misfolded VHH-7D12 antibodies (VHH-Mis), a potential anti-EGFR drug, can generate a robust serum IgG response. Here we investigate the immunogenic nature, especially the specificity of the immune response induced by VHH-Mis. To this end, we used two natively folded and 77% identical anti-EGFR VHHs (VHH-7D12 and VHH-9G8) that possess a common framework but distinct complementarity determining regions (CDRs). In 60% of mice immunized with VHH-Mis, the anti-VHH-7D12 IgG titer was stronger than the anti-VHH-9G8 titer (Group-1). In the remaining mice (40%; Group-2), the anti-VHH-7D12 and anti-VHH-9G8 titer were almost identical. We rationalized these results by hypothesizing that mice in Group-1 produced IgG mostly against the VHH-7D12's CDRs, whereas in Group-2 mice, they targeted the VHH's framework. The IgG specificity against VHH-7D12 and VHH-9G8 was essentially unchanged over 17 weeks in both groups. Further, in all mice (Group-1&2) re-immunized with native VHH-7D12, the IgG titer against VHH-7D12 increased sharply but not against VHH-9G8. On the other hand, none of the three Group-1 mice re-immunized with native VHH-9G8 showed immunogenicity against VHH-7D12 nor VHH-9G8. Whereas, in Group-2 mice (three/three) re-immunized with VHH-9G8, the IgG titers against both VHHs increased but slowly. Flow-cytometric studies showed that VHH-Mis immunized mice generated a higher number of effector and central memory T-cells. Overall, these observations indicate that amorphous aggregates made of a misfolded VHH can induce serum IgG against its natively folded self and analogous VHHs having a similar framework but distinct CDRs. Furthermore, a robust long-term immune response with memory was established against its natively folded self but with a nil-to-moderate immune response against natively folded VHH analogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Golam Kibria
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Yoko Akazawa-Ogawa
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-8-31, Midorigaoka, Ikeda, Osaka 563-8577, Japan
| | - Yoshihisa Hagihara
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-8-31, Midorigaoka, Ikeda, Osaka 563-8577, Japan
| | - Yutaka Kuroda
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan.
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12
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Oyama K, Ohkuri T, Ochi J, Caaveiro JMM, Ueda T. Abolition of aggregation of CH 2 domain of human IgG1 when combining glycosylation and protein stabilization. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 558:114-9. [PMID: 33915325 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.04.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The CH2 domain is a critical element of the human Immunoglobulin G (IgG) constant region. Although the CH2 domain is the least stable domain in IgG, it is also a promising scaffold candidate for developing novel therapeutic approaches. Recently, we succeeded in preparing glycosylated and non-glycosylated CH2 domain in the host organism Pichia pastoris. Herein, we verified that glycosylation of the CH2 domain decreased both, its tendency to aggregate and its immunogenicity in mice, suggesting that aggregation and immunogenicity are related. In addition, we have produced in P. pastoris a stabilized version of the CH2 domain with and without glycan, and their propensity to aggregate evaluated. We found that stabilization alone significantly decreased the aggregation of the CH2 domain. Moreover, the combination of glycosylation and stabilization completely suppressed its aggregation behavior. Since protein aggregation is related to immunogenicity, the combination of glycosylation and stabilization to eliminate the aggregation behavior of a protein could be a fruitful strategy to generate promising immunoglobulin scaffolds.
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Abstract
The subcutaneous route of administration has provided convenient and non-inferior delivery of therapeutic proteins compared to intravenous infusion, but there is potential for enhanced immunogenicity toward subcutaneously administered proteins in a subset of patients. Unwanted anti-drug antibody response toward proteins or monoclonal antibodies upon repeated administration is shown to impact the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of multiple biologics. Unique immunogenicity challenges of the subcutaneous route have been realized through various preclinical and clinical examples, although subcutaneous delivery has often demonstrated comparable immunogenicity to intravenous administration. Beyond route of administration as a treatment-related factor of immunogenicity, certain product-related risk factors are particularly relevant to subcutaneously administered proteins. This review attempts to provide an overview of the mechanism of immune response toward proteins administered subcutaneously (subcutaneous proteins) and comments on product-related risk factors related to protein structure and stability, dosage form, and aggregation. A two-wave mechanism of antigen presentation in the immune response toward subcutaneous proteins is described, and interaction with dynamic antigen-presenting cells possessing high antigen processing efficiency and migratory activity may drive immunogenicity. Mitigation strategies for immunogenicity are discussed, including those in general use clinically and those currently in development. Mechanistic insights along with consideration of risk factors involved inspire theoretical strategies to provide antigen-specific, long-lasting effects for maintaining the safety and efficacy of therapeutic proteins.
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14
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Wen Y, Jawa V. The Impact of Product and Process Related Critical Quality Attributes on Immunogenicity and Adverse Immunological Effects of Biotherapeutics. J Pharm Sci 2021; 110:1025-41. [PMID: 33316242 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2020.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The pharmaceutical industry has experienced great successes with protein therapeutics in the last two decades and with novel modalities, including cell therapies and gene therapies, more recently. Biotherapeutics are complex in structure and present challenges for discovery, development, regulatory, and life cycle management. Biotherapeutics can interact with the immune system that may lead to undesired immunological responses, including immunogenicity, hypersensitivity reactions (HSR), injection site reactions (ISR), and others. Many product and process related critical quality attributes (CQAs) have the potential to trigger or augment such immunological responses to the product. Tremendous efforts, both clinically and preclinically, have been invested to understand the impact of product and process related CQAs on adverse immunological effects. The information and knowledge are critical for the implementation of Quality by Design (QbD), which requires risk assessment and establishment of specifications and control strategies for CQAs. A quality target product profile (QTPP) that identifies the key CQAs through process development can help assign severity scores based on safety, immunogenicity, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of the molecule. Gaps and future directions related to biotherapeutics and emerging novel modalities are presented.
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15
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Chang DP, Burra S, Day ES, Chan J, Comps-Agrar L, Nivaggioli T, Rajagopal K. Long-Term Stability of Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (a-VEGF) Biologics Under Physiologically Relevant Conditions and Its Impact on the Development of Long-Acting Delivery Systems. J Pharm Sci 2021; 110:860-70. [PMID: 33031788 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2020.09.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The port delivery system with ranibizumab (PDS) is an investigational long-acting drug delivery system for the continuous release of ranibizumab, an anti-VEGF biologic, in the vitreous humor. The efficacy of the PDS implant relies on the maintenance of long-term drug stability under physiological conditions. Herein, the long-term stability of three anti-VEGF biologics - ranibizumab, bevacizumab and aflibercept - was investigated in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at 37 °C for several months. Comparison of stability profiles shows that bevacizumab and aflibercept are increasingly prone to aggregation whereas ranibizumab undergoes minimal aggregation. Ranibizumab also shows the smallest loss in antigen binding capacity after long-term incubation in PBS. Even though the aggregated forms of bevacizumab and aflibercept bind to VEGF, the consequences of aggregation on immunogenicity, implant function and efficacy are unknown. These results highlight the importance of maintaining long-term drug stability under physiologically relevant conditions which is necessary for achieving efficacy with an in vivo continuous drug delivery device such as the PDS implant.
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16
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Abstract
Recombinant proteins are the mainstay of biopharmaceuticals. A key challenge in the manufacturing and formulation of protein biologic products is the tendency for the active pharmaceutical ingredients to aggregate, resulting in irreversible drug loss, and an increase in immunogenicity risk. While the molecular mechanisms of protein aggregation have been discussed extensively in the literature, knowledge gaps remain in connecting the phenomenon in the context of immunogenicity of biotherapeutics. In this review, we discussed factors that drive aggregation of pharmaceutical recombinant proteins, and highlighted methods of prediction and mitigation that can be deployed through the development stages, from formulation to bioproduction. The purpose is to stimulate new dialogs that would bridge the interface between physical characterizations of protein aggregates in biotherapeutics and the functional attributes of the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngoc B Pham
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, United States
| | - Wilson S Meng
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, United States; McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15219, United States.
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17
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Wilson KL, Howard GP, Coatsworth H, Dinglasan RR, Mao HQ, Plebanski M. Biodegradable PLGA- b-PEG Nanoparticles Induce T Helper 2 (Th2) Immune Responses and Sustained Antibody Titers via TLR9 Stimulation. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E261. [PMID: 32485944 PMCID: PMC7349924 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8020261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Sustained immune responses, particularly antibody responses, are key for protection against many endemic infectious diseases. Antibody responses are often accompanied by T helper (Th) cell immunity. Herein we study small biodegradable poly (ethylene glycol)-b-poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (PEG-b-PLGA NPs, 25-50 nm) as antigen- or adjuvant-carriers. The antigen carrier function of PEG-b-PLGA NPs was compared against an experimental benchmark polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs, 40-50 nm), both conjugated with the model antigen ovalbumin (OVA-PS NPs, and OVA-PEG-b-PLGA NPs). The OVA-PEG-b-PLGA NPs induced sustained antibody responses to Day 120 after two immunizations. The OVA-PEG-b-PLGA NPs as a self-adjuvanting vaccine further induced IL-4 producing T-helper cells (Th2), but not IFN-γ producing T-cells (Th1). The PEG-b-PLGA NPs as a carrier for CpG adjuvant (CpG-PEG-b-PLGA NPs) were also tested as mix-in vaccine adjuvants comparatively for protein antigens, or for protein-conjugated to PS NPs or to PEG-b-PLGA NPs. While the addition of this adjuvant NP did not further increase T-cell responses, it improved the consistency of antibody responses across all immunization groups. Together these data support further development of PEG-b-PLGA NPs as a vaccine carrier, particularly where it is desired to induce Th2 immunity and achieve sustained antibody titers in the absence of affecting Th1 immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty L. Wilson
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University, Melbourne, Victoria 3084, Australia;
- Department of Immunology and Pathology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3181, Australia
| | - Gregory P. Howard
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA;
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Heather Coatsworth
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
| | - Rhoel R. Dinglasan
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
| | - Hai-Quan Mao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA;
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Magdalena Plebanski
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University, Melbourne, Victoria 3084, Australia;
- Department of Immunology and Pathology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3181, Australia
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18
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Kibria MG, Akazawa-Ogawa Y, Rahman N, Hagihara Y, Kuroda Y. The immunogenicity of an anti-EGFR single domain antibody (V HH) is enhanced by misfolded amorphous aggregation but not by heat-induced aggregation. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2020; 152:164-174. [PMID: 32416134 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2020.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Amorphous aggregates of therapeutic proteins can provoke an unwanted immune response (anti-drug antibodies; ADAs), but counter-examples have led to some controversy. Amorphous aggregates can possess unique biophysical and biochemical attributes depending on both the way they are generated and the protein's biophysical/biochemical properties. Here, we examine the immunogenicity of an anti-EGFR single domain antibody (VHH) in four types of amorphous aggregates: two heat-aggregated VHH incubated at 65 °C (VHH-65) and 95 °C (VHH-95), a misfolded VHH isolated from the insoluble fraction of the E. coli lysate (VHH-Ins), and a low solubility misfolded VHH produced by miss-shuffling the SS bonds of the native VHH (VHH-Mis). Biophysical and biochemical measurements indicated that VHH was indeed natively folded, monomeric, and β-sheeted; that VHH-65 was partially unfolded and formed aggregates with a Z-average (Zave) of 771 nm; whereas VHH-95 was unfolded and formed aggregates of 1722 nm; and that both VHH-Ins and VHH-Mis were misfolded with non-native intermolecular SS bonds and formed aggregates with a Zave of 1846 nm and 1951 nm, respectively. The IgG level generated in Jcl:ICR mice determined by ELISA showed that the native VHH was barely immunogenic, VHH-95 was not immunogenic, while VHH-65 was mildly immunogenic. By contrast, the misfolded aggregates, VHH-Ins and VHH-Mis, having a Zave and an aggregation propensity similar to that of VHH-95, were highly immunogenic. These findings indicate the critical role of the biochemical and biophysical attributes of the amorphous aggregates in generating an immune response against a protein, rather than just their sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Golam Kibria
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Yoko Akazawa-Ogawa
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-8-31, Midorigaoka, Ikeda, Osaka 563-8577, Japan
| | - Nafsoon Rahman
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Yoshihisa Hagihara
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-8-31, Midorigaoka, Ikeda, Osaka 563-8577, Japan
| | - Yutaka Kuroda
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan.
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19
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Boysen L, Viuff BM, Landsy LH, Lykkesfeldt J, Raymond JT, Price SA, Pelzer H, Lauritzen B. Formation and Glomerular Deposition of Immune Complexes in Mice Administered Human Antibodies: Evaluation of Dose, Frequency, and Biomarkers. Toxicol Pathol 2020; 48:570-585. [PMID: 32319353 DOI: 10.1177/0192623320919121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Administration of human protein-based drugs to animals often leads to formation of antidrug antibodies (ADAs) that may form circulating immune complexes (CICs) with the dosed protein. Circulating immune complexes can activate and bind complement (cCICs), and if large amount of CICs or cCICs is formed, the clearance mechanism potentially becomes saturated, which can lead to immune complex (IC) deposition and inflammation. To obtain a better understanding of the underlying factors, including the relationship between different dose regimes on IC formation and deposition and identification of possible biomarkers of IC deposition and IC-related pathological changes in kidneys, BALB/c and C57BL/6J mice were administered with human anti-tumor necrosis factor α (aTNFα, adalimumab) or a humanized anti-TNP (aTNP) antibody for 13 weeks. Particularly, ADA, CIC, cCIC formation, IC deposition, and glomerulonephritis were observed in C57BL/6J administered with aTNFα, whereas the immunologic response was minor in BALB/c mice administered with aTNFα and in BALB/c and C57BL/6J mice administered aTNP. Changing dose levels or increasing dosing frequency of aTNFα on top of an already-established CIC and cCIC response did not lead to substantial changes in CIC, cCIC formation, or IC deposition. Finally, no association between the presence of CICs or cCIC in plasma and glomerular IC deposition and/or glomerulonephritis was observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lykke Boysen
- Global Discovery & Development Sciences, Novo Nordisk A/S, Måløv, Denmark.,Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Birgitte M Viuff
- Global Discovery & Development Sciences, Novo Nordisk A/S, Måløv, Denmark
| | - Lone H Landsy
- Global Discovery & Development Sciences, Novo Nordisk A/S, Måløv, Denmark
| | - Jens Lykkesfeldt
- Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - James T Raymond
- Pathology Associates, Charles River Laboratories Inc, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Shari A Price
- Pathology Associates, Charles River Laboratories Inc, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Hermann Pelzer
- Global Discovery & Development Sciences, Novo Nordisk A/S, Måløv, Denmark
| | - Brian Lauritzen
- Global Discovery & Development Sciences, Novo Nordisk A/S, Måløv, Denmark
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20
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Rahman N, Islam MM, Unzai S, Miura S, Kuroda Y. Nanometer-Sized Aggregates Generated Using Short Solubility Controlling Peptide Tags Do Increase the In Vivo Immunogenicity of a Nonimmunogenic Protein. Mol Pharm 2020; 17:1629-1637. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.0c00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nafsoon Rahman
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Mohammad Monirul Islam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331, Bangladesh
| | - Satoru Unzai
- Department of Frontier Bioscience, Faculty of Bioscience and Applied Chemistry, Hosei University, 3-7-2 Kajino-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8584, Japan
| | - Shiho Miura
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Yutaka Kuroda
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
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21
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Aston-Deaville S, Carlsson E, Saleem M, Thistlethwaite A, Chan H, Maharjan S, Facchetti A, Feavers IM, Alistair Siebert C, Collins RF, Roseman A, Derrick JP. An assessment of the use of Hepatitis B Virus core protein virus-like particles to display heterologous antigens from Neisseria meningitidis. Vaccine 2020; 38:3201-3209. [PMID: 32178907 PMCID: PMC7113836 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis is the causative agent of meningococcal meningitis and sepsis and remains a significant public health problem in many countries. Efforts to develop a comprehensive vaccine against serogroup B meningococci have focused on the use of surface-exposed outer membrane proteins. Here we report the use of virus-like particles derived from the core protein of Hepatitis B Virus, HBc, to incorporate antigen domains derived from Factor H binding protein (FHbp) and the adhesin NadA. The extracellular domain of NadA was inserted into the major immunodominant region of HBc, and the C-terminal domain of FHbp at the C-terminus (CFHbp), creating a single polypeptide chain 3.7-fold larger than native HBc. Remarkably, cryoelectron microscopy revealed that the construct formed assemblies that were able to incorporate both antigens with minimal structural changes to native HBc. Electron density was weak for NadA and absent for CFHbp, partly attributable to domain flexibility. Following immunization of mice, three HBc fusions (CFHbp or NadA alone, NadA + CFHbp) were able to induce production of IgG1, IgG2a and IgG2b antibodies reactive against their respective antigens at dilutions in excess of 1:18,000. However, only HBc fusions containing NadA elicited the production of antibodies with serum bactericidal activity. It is hypothesized that this improved immune response is attributable to the adoption of a more native-like folding of crucial conformational epitopes of NadA within the chimeric VLP. This work demonstrates that HBc can incorporate insertions of large antigen domains but that maintenance of their three-dimensional structure is likely to be critical in obtaining a protective response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Aston-Deaville
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Emil Carlsson
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Muhammad Saleem
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Angela Thistlethwaite
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Hannah Chan
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Hertfordshire EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Sunil Maharjan
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Hertfordshire EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Alessandra Facchetti
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Hertfordshire EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Ian M Feavers
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Hertfordshire EN6 3QG, UK
| | - C Alistair Siebert
- Electron Bio-Imaging Centre, Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Richard F Collins
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Alan Roseman
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Jeremy P Derrick
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
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22
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Lemieux M, Lorbetskie B, Luebbert C, Walrond L, Li C, Li X, Cyr T, Sauvé S, Johnston M, Farnsworth A. The differential effect of sub-micron level HA aggregates on influenza potency assays. Vaccine 2019; 37:5276-5287. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.07.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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23
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Zhang C, Springall JS, Wang X, Barman I. Rapid, quantitative determination of aggregation and particle formation for antibody drug conjugate therapeutics with label-free Raman spectroscopy. Anal Chim Acta 2019; 1081:138-145. [PMID: 31446951 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2019.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Lot release and stability testing of biologics are essential parts of the quality control strategy for ensuring therapeutic material dosed to patients is safe and efficacious, and consistent with previous clinical and toxicological experience. Characterization of protein aggregation is of particular significance, as aggregates may lose the intrinsic pharmaceutical properties as well as engage with the immune system instigating undesirable downstream immunogenicity. While important, real-time identification and quantification of subvisible particles in the monoclonal antibody (mAb) drug products remains inaccessible with existing techniques due to limitations in measurement time, sensitivity or experimental conditions. Here, owing to its exquisite molecular specificity, non-perturbative nature and lack of sample preparation requirements, we propose label-free Raman spectroscopy in conjunction with multivariate analysis as a solution to this unmet need. By leveraging subtle, but consistent, differences in vibrational modes of the biologics, we have developed a support vector machine-based regression model that provides fast, accurate prediction for a wide range of protein aggregations. Moreover, in blinded experiments, the model shows the ability to precisely differentiate between aggregation levels in mAb like product samples pre- and post-isothermal incubation, where an increase in aggregate levels was experimentally determined. In addition to offering fresh insights into mAb like product-specific aggregation mechanisms that can improve engineering of new protein therapeutics, our results highlight the potential of Raman spectroscopy as an in-line analytical tool for monitoring protein particle formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Zhang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jeremy S Springall
- AstraZeneca, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, Biopharmaceutical Product Development, Analytical Sciences, Gaithersburg, MD, USA.
| | - Xiangyang Wang
- AstraZeneca, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, Biopharmaceutical Product Development, Analytical Sciences, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Ishan Barman
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Radiology & Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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24
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Kraus T, Lubitz A, Schließer U, Giese C, Reuschel J, Brecht R, Engert J, Winter G. Evaluation of a 3D Human Artificial Lymph Node as Test Model for the Assessment of Immunogenicity of Protein Aggregates. J Pharm Sci 2019; 108:2358-2366. [PMID: 30797781 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2019.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The immunogenicity of protein aggregates has been investigated in numerous studies. Nevertheless, it is still unknown which kind of protein aggregates enhance immunogenicity the most. The ability of the currently used in vitro and in vivo systems regarding their predictability of immunogenicity in humans is often questionable, and results are partially contradictive. In this study, we used a 2D in vitro assay and a complex 3D human artificial lymph node model to predict the immunogenicity of protein aggregates of bevacizumab and adalimumab. The monoclonal antibodies were exposed to different stress conditions such as light, heat, and mechanical stress to trigger the formation of protein aggregates and particles, and samples were analyzed thoroughly. Cells and culture supernatants were harvested and analyzed for dendritic cell marker and cytokines. Our study in the artificial lymph node model revealed that bevacizumab after exposure to heat triggered a TH1- and proinflammatory immune response, whereas no trend of immune responses was seen for adalimumab after exposure to different stress conditions. The human artificial lymph node model represents a new test model for testing the immunogenicity of protein aggregates combining the relevance of a 3D human system with the rather easy handling of an in vitro setup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Kraus
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr.5, D-81377 Munich, Germany.
| | - Annika Lubitz
- ProBioGen AG, Department Cell and Tissue Services, Goethestraße 54, D-13086 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrike Schließer
- ProBioGen AG, Department Cell and Tissue Services, Goethestraße 54, D-13086 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christoph Giese
- ProBioGen AG, Department Cell and Tissue Services, Goethestraße 54, D-13086 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jana Reuschel
- ProBioGen AG, Department Cell and Tissue Services, Goethestraße 54, D-13086 Berlin, Germany
| | - René Brecht
- ProBioGen AG, Department Cell and Tissue Services, Goethestraße 54, D-13086 Berlin, Germany
| | - Julia Engert
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr.5, D-81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Gerhard Winter
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr.5, D-81377 Munich, Germany
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Rane SS, Dearman RJ, Kimber I, Uddin S, Bishop S, Shah M, Podmore A, Pluen A, Derrick JP. Impact of a Heat Shock Protein Impurity on the Immunogenicity of Biotherapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies. Pharm Res 2019; 36:51. [PMID: 30771015 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-019-2586-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Anti-drug antibodies can impair the efficacy of therapeutic proteins and, in some circumstances, induce adverse health effects. Immunogenicity can be promoted by aggregation; here we examined the ability of recombinant mouse heat shock protein 70 (rmHSP70) - a common host cell impurity - to modulate the immune responses to aggregates of two therapeutic mAbs in mice. Methods Heat and shaking stress methods were used to generate aggregates in the sub-micron size range from two human mAbs, and immunogenicity assessed by intraperitoneal exposure in BALB/c mice. Results rmHSP70 was shown to bind preferentially to aggregates of both mAbs, but not to the native, monomeric proteins. Aggregates supplemented with 0.1% rmHSP70 induced significantly enhanced IgG2a antibody responses compared with aggregates alone but the effect was not observed for monomeric mAbs. Dendritic cells pulsed with mAb aggregate showed enhanced IFNγ production on co-culture with T cells in the presence of rmHSP70. Conclusion The results indicate a Th1-skewing of the immune response by aggregates and show that murine rmHSP70 selectively modulates the immune response to mAb aggregates, but not monomer. These data suggest that heat shock protein impurities can selectively accumulate by binding to mAb aggregates and thus influence immunogenic responses to therapeutic proteins. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s11095-019-2586-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Kraus T, Winter G, Engert J. Test models for the evaluation of immunogenicity of protein aggregates. Int J Pharm 2019; 559:192-200. [PMID: 30665000 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Protein aggregates have been discussed for a long time as a potential risk factor for immunogenicity in patients. Meanwhile, many research groups have investigated the immunogenicity of differently produced aggregates using in vitro or in vivo models. Despite all knowledge gained in these studies still little is known about the mechanisms of immunogenicity and the kind of protein aggregates bearing the greatest risk for immunogenicity. The choice of a suitable test model regarding the predictability of immunogenicity of protein aggregates in humans plays a major role and influences results and conclusions substantially. In this review we will provide an overview of the test models recently used for the evaluation of immunogenicity of protein aggregates; we will discuss advantages and drawbacks regarding their usability and predictive power for immunogenicity in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Kraus
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology & Biopharmaceutics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5, D-81377 Munich, Germany.
| | - Gerhard Winter
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology & Biopharmaceutics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5, D-81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Julia Engert
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology & Biopharmaceutics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5, D-81377 Munich, Germany
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Eyes TJ, Austerberry JI, Dearman RJ, Johannissen LO, Kimber I, Smith N, Thistlethwaite A, Derrick JP. Identification of B cell epitopes enhanced by protein unfolding and aggregation. Mol Immunol 2019; 105:181-9. [PMID: 30550980 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2018.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Aggregation of an exemplar therapeutic antibody fragment (scFv) enhances immunogenicity in vivo. Epitope mapping reveals immunogenicity is directed to a specific epitope in aggregate species. Molecular simulation demonstrates biophysical stress enhances epitope presentation. Protein aggregates have distinct immunological profiles to their native counterparts.
Aggregation of therapeutic proteins is a key factor in the generation of unwanted immunogenicity, and can result in reduced serum half-life, neutralization of function and adverse health effects. There is currently little information regarding how aggregates interact with B-cell receptors or cognate antibodies at the protein sequence level, or whether non-native, aggregate-induced epitopes predominate in these interactions. Using an antibody fragment (single chain antibody variable fragment; scFv) that forms aggregates readily at low temperature, anti-scFv IgG antibody responses were generated by intraperitoneal injection of BALB/c strain mice with monomer or aggregate preparations. Aggregate-specific immunosignatures were identified by oligo-peptide microarray fine epitope mapping, using overlapping 15mer peptides based on the linear sequence of scFv, printed onto glass slides. IgG antibodies from mice immunized with aggregated scFv preferentially recognized a patch of overlapping peptides. This region mapped to a β-strand located at the interface between the VH and VL domains. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the VL domain is less stable than the VH domain, suggesting the interface region between the two domains becomes exposed during partial unfolding of the scFv during aggregate formation. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that epitopes from partially unfolded states are revealed, or are more fully exposed, in the aggregated state, and that this can augment the IgG antibody response. This observation offers the theoretical possibility that epitopes preferentially associated with aggregates can be identified from the anti-drug antibody serum IgG response which may, in turn, lead to better methods for detection of anti-drug antibody responses, and improved design of therapeutic proteins to control immunogenicity.
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Wang W, Roberts CJ. Protein aggregation – Mechanisms, detection, and control. Int J Pharm 2018; 550:251-268. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2018.08.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 08/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Ratanji KD, Derrick JP, Kimber I, Thorpe R, Wadhwa M, Dearman RJ. Influence of Escherichia coli chaperone DnaK on protein immunogenicity. Immunology 2017; 150:343-355. [PMID: 27859059 PMCID: PMC5290234 DOI: 10.1111/imm.12689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The production of anti-drug antibodies can impact significantly upon the safety and efficacy of biotherapeutics. It is known that various factors, including aggregation and the presence of process-related impurities, can modify and augment the immunogenic potential of proteins. The purpose of the investigations reported here was to characterize in mice the influence of aggregation and host cell protein impurities on the immunogenicity of a humanized single-chain antibody variable fragment (scFv), and mouse albumin. Host cell protein impurities within an scFv preparation purified from Escherichia coli displayed adjuvant-like activity for responses to the scFv in BALB/c strain mice. The 70 000 MW E. coli chaperone protein DnaK was identified as a key contaminant of scFv by mass spectrometric analysis. Preparations of scFv lacking detectable DnaK were spiked with recombinant E. coli DnaK to mimic the process-related impurity. Mice were immunized with monomeric and aggregated preparations, with and without 0·1% DnaK by mass. Aggregation alone enhanced IgM and IgG2a antibody responses, but had no significant effect on total IgG or IgG1 responses. The addition of DnaK further enhanced IgG and IgG2a antibody responses, but only in the presence of aggregated protein. DnaK was shown to be associated with the aggregated scFv by Western blot analysis. Experiments with mouse albumin showed an overall increase in immunogenicity with protein aggregation alone, and the presence of DnaK increased the vigour of the IgG2a antibody response further. Collectively these data reveal that DnaK has the potential to modify and enhance immunogenicity when associated with aggregated protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty D. Ratanji
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthSchool of Biological SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Jeremy P. Derrick
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthSchool of Biological SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Ian Kimber
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthSchool of Biological SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Robin Thorpe
- National Institute for Biological Standards and ControlPotters BarHertfordshireUK
| | - Meenu Wadhwa
- National Institute for Biological Standards and ControlPotters BarHertfordshireUK
| | - Rebecca J. Dearman
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and HealthSchool of Biological SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
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