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Lutz S, Klausz K, Albici AM, Ebinger L, Sellmer L, Teipel H, Frenzel A, Langner A, Winterberg D, Krohn S, Hust M, Schirrmann T, Dübel S, Scherließ R, Humpe A, Gramatzki M, Kellner C, Peipp M. Novel NKG2D-directed bispecific antibodies enhance antibody-mediated killing of malignant B cells by NK cells and T cells. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1227572. [PMID: 37965326 PMCID: PMC10641740 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1227572] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The activating receptor natural killer group 2, member D (NKG2D) represents an attractive target for immunotherapy as it exerts a crucial role in cancer immunosurveillance by regulating the activity of cytotoxic lymphocytes. In this study, a panel of novel NKG2D-specific single-chain fragments variable (scFv) were isolated from naïve human antibody gene libraries and fused to the fragment antigen binding (Fab) of rituximab to obtain [CD20×NKG2D] bibodies with the aim to recruit cytotoxic lymphocytes to lymphoma cells. All bispecific antibodies bound both antigens simultaneously. Two bibody constructs, [CD20×NKG2D#3] and [CD20×NKG2D#32], efficiently activated natural killer (NK) cells in co-cultures with CD20+ lymphoma cells. Both bibodies triggered NK cell-mediated lysis of lymphoma cells and especially enhanced antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) by CD38 or CD19 specific monoclonal antibodies suggesting a synergistic effect between NKG2D and FcγRIIIA signaling pathways in NK cell activation. The [CD20×NKG2D] bibodies were not effective in redirecting CD8+ T cells as single agents, but enhanced cytotoxicity when combined with a bispecific [CD19×CD3] T cell engager, indicating that NKG2D signaling also supports CD3-mediated T cell activation. In conclusion, engagement of NKG2D with bispecific antibodies is attractive to directly activate cytotoxic lymphocytes or to support their activation by monoclonal antibodies or bispecific T cell engagers. As a perspective, co-targeting of two tumor antigens may allow fine-tuning of antibody cancer therapies. Our proposed combinatorial approach is potentially applicable for many existing immunotherapies but further testing in different preclinical models is necessary to explore the full potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Lutz
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Cell Therapeutics and Hemostaseology, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Katja Klausz
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Anca-Maria Albici
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lea Ebinger
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lea Sellmer
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Hannah Teipel
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Anna Langner
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Dorothee Winterberg
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Steffen Krohn
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Michael Hust
- YUMAB GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Abteilung Biotechnologie, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Stefan Dübel
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Biochemie, Biotechnologie und Bioinformatik, Abteilung Biotechnologie, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Regina Scherließ
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Andreas Humpe
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Cell Therapeutics and Hemostaseology, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Martin Gramatzki
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Christian Kellner
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Cell Therapeutics and Hemostaseology, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Peipp
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
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