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Sargis T, Youn SW, Thakkar K, Naiche LA, Paik NY, Pajcini KV, Kitajewski JK. Notch1 and Notch4 core binding domain peptibodies exhibit distinct ligand-binding and anti-angiogenic properties. Angiogenesis 2023; 26:249-263. [PMID: 36376768 PMCID: PMC10119233 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-022-09861-6] [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: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Notch signaling pathway is an important therapeutic target for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer. We previously created ligand-specific inhibitors of Notch signaling comprised of Fc fusions to specific EGF-like repeats of the Notch1 extracellular domain, called Notch decoys, which bound ligands, blocked Notch signaling, and showed anti-tumor activity with low toxicity. However, the study of their function depended on virally mediated expression, which precluded dosage control and limited clinical applicability. We have refined the decoy design to create peptibody-based Notch inhibitors comprising the core binding domains, EGF-like repeats 10-14, of either Notch1 or Notch4. These Notch peptibodies showed high secretion properties and production yields that were improved by nearly 100-fold compared to previous Notch decoys. Using surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy coupled with co-immunoprecipitation assays, we observed that Notch1 and Notch4 peptibodies demonstrate strong but distinct binding properties to Notch ligands DLL4 and JAG1. Both Notch1 and Notch4 peptibodies interfere with Notch signaling in endothelial cells and reduce expression of canonical Notch targets after treatment. While prior DLL4 inhibitors cause hyper-sprouting, the Notch1 peptibody reduced angiogenesis in a 3-dimensional in vitro sprouting assay. Administration of Notch1 peptibodies to neonate mice resulted in reduced radial outgrowth of retinal vasculature, confirming anti-angiogenic properties. We conclude that purified Notch peptibodies comprising EGF-like repeats 10-14 bind to both DLL4 and JAG1 ligands and exhibit anti-angiogenic properties. Based on their secretion profile, unique Notch inhibitory activities, and anti-angiogenic properties, Notch peptibodies present new opportunities for therapeutic Notch inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Sargis
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Seock-Won Youn
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Krishna Thakkar
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - L A Naiche
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Na Yoon Paik
- Department of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Kostandin V Pajcini
- Department of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
- University of Illinois Cancer Center, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Jan K Kitajewski
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
- University of Illinois Cancer Center, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
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Sottoriva K, Paik NY, White Z, Bandara T, Shao L, Sano T, Pajcini KV. A Notch/IL-21 signaling axis primes bone marrow T cell progenitor expansion. JCI Insight 2022; 7:e157015. [PMID: 35349492 PMCID: PMC9090257 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.157015] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term impairment in T cell-mediated adaptive immunity is a major clinical obstacle following treatment of blood disorders with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Although T cell development in the thymus has been extensively characterized, there are significant gaps in our understanding of prethymic processes that influence early T cell potential. We have uncovered a Notch/IL-21 signaling axis in bone marrow common lymphoid progenitor (CLP) cells. IL-21 receptor expression was driven by Notch activation in CLPs, and in vivo treatment with IL-21 induced Notch-dependent CLP proliferation. Taking advantage of this potentially novel signaling axis, we generated T cell progenitors ex vivo, which improved repopulation of the thymus and peripheral lymphoid organs of mice in an allogeneic transplant model. Importantly, Notch and IL-21 activation were equally effective in the priming and expansion of human cord blood cells toward the T cell fate, confirming the translational potential of the combined treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Na Yoon Paik
- Department of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine and
| | - Zachary White
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Lijian Shao
- Department of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine and
| | - Teruyuki Sano
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Takushi SE, Paik NY, Fedanov A, Prince C, Doering CB, Spencer HT, Chandrakasan S. Lentiviral Gene Therapy for Familial Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Type 3, Caused by UNC13D Genetic Defects. Hum Gene Ther 2021; 31:626-638. [PMID: 32253931 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2019.329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis type 3 (FHL3) is a rare disease caused by mutations to the UNC13D gene and the subsequent absence or decreased activity of the Munc13-4 protein. Munc13-4 is essential for the exocytosis of perforin and granzyme containing granules from cytotoxic cells. Without it, these cells are able to recognize an immunological insult but are unable to execute their cytotoxic functions. The result is a hyperinflammatory state that, if left untreated, is fatal. At present, the only curative treatment is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), but eligibility and response to this treatment are largely dependent on the ability to control inflammation before HSCT. In this study, we describe an optimized lentiviral vector that can restore Munc13-4 expression and degranulation capacity in both transduced FHL3 patient T cells and transduced hematopoietic stem cells from the FHL3 (Jinx) disease model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Takushi
- Department of Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Cell and Gene Therapy Program, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Na Yoon Paik
- Cell and Gene Therapy Program, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Andrew Fedanov
- Cell and Gene Therapy Program, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Chengyu Prince
- Cell and Gene Therapy Program, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Christopher B Doering
- Cell and Gene Therapy Program, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - H Trent Spencer
- Cell and Gene Therapy Program, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Shanmuganathan Chandrakasan
- Cell and Gene Therapy Program, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Shao L, Sottoriva K, Palasiewicz K, Zhang J, Hyun J, Soni SS, Paik NY, Gao X, Cuervo H, Malik AB, Rehman J, Lucas D, Pajcini KV. A Tie2-Notch1 signaling axis regulates regeneration of the endothelial bone marrow niche. Haematologica 2019; 104:2164-2177. [PMID: 30923091 PMCID: PMC6821596 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2018.208660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss-of-function studies have determined that Notch signaling is essential for hematopoietic and endothelial development. By deleting a single allele of the Notch1 transcriptional activation domain we generated viable, post-natal mice exhibiting hypomorphic Notch signaling. These heterozygous mice, which lack only one copy of the transcriptional activation domain, appear normal and have no endothelial or hematopoietic phenotype, apart from an inherent, cell-autonomous defect in T-cell lineage development. Following chemotherapy, these hypomorphs exhibited severe pancytopenia, weight loss and morbidity. This phenotype was confirmed in an endothelial-specific, loss-of-function Notch1 model system. Ang1, secreted by hematopoietic progenitors after damage, activated endothelial Tie2 signaling, which in turn enhanced expression of Notch ligands and potentiated Notch1 receptor activation. In our heterozygous, hypomorphic model system, the mutant protein that lacks the Notch1 transcriptional activation domain accumulated in endothelial cells and interfered with optimal activity of the wildtype Notch1 transcriptional complex. Failure of the hypomorphic mutant to efficiently drive transcription of key gene targets such as Hes1 and Myc prolonged apoptosis and limited regeneration of the bone marrow niche. Thus, basal Notch1 signaling is sufficient for niche development, but robust Notch activity is required for regeneration of the bone marrow endothelial niche and hematopoietic recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijian Shao
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Kilian Sottoriva
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Karol Palasiewicz
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Jizhou Zhang
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - James Hyun
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Sweta S Soni
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Na Yoon Paik
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Xiaopei Gao
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Henar Cuervo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, The University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Asrar B Malik
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Jalees Rehman
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Daniel Lucas
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kostandin V Pajcini
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
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5
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Raikar SS, Fleischer LC, Moot R, Fedanov A, Paik NY, Knight KA, Doering CB, Spencer HT. Development of chimeric antigen receptors targeting T-cell malignancies using two structurally different anti-CD5 antigen binding domains in NK and CRISPR-edited T cell lines. Oncoimmunology 2017; 7:e1407898. [PMID: 29399409 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2017.1407898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [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: 06/26/2017] [Revised: 10/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Relapsed T-cell malignancies have poor outcomes when treated with chemotherapy, but survival after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) approaches 50%. A limitation to BMT is the difficulty of achieving remission prior to transplant. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has shown successes in B-cell malignancies. This approach is difficult to adapt for the treatment of T-cell disease due to lack of a T-lymphoblast specific antigen and the fratricide of CAR T cells that occurs with T-cell antigen targeting. To circumvent this problem two approaches were investigated. First, a natural killer (NK) cell line, which does not express CD5, was used for CAR expression. Second, CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology was used to knockout CD5 expression in CD5-positive Jurkat T cells and in primary T cells, allowing for the use of CD5-negative T cells for CAR expression. Two structurally distinct anti-CD5 sequences were also tested, i) a traditional immunoglobulin-based single chain variable fragment (scFv) and ii) a lamprey-derived variable lymphocyte receptor (VLR), which we previously showed can be used for CAR-based recognition. Our results show i) both CARs yield comparable T-cell activation and NK cell-based cytotoxicity when targeting CD5-positive cells, ii) CD5-edited CAR-modified Jurkat T cells have reduced self-activation compared to that of CD5-positive CAR-modified T cells, iii) CD5-edited CAR-modified Jurkat T cells have increased activation in the presence of CD5-positive target cells compared to that of CD5-positive CAR-modified T cells, and iv) although modest effects were seen, a mouse model using the CAR-expressing NK cell line showed the scFv-CAR was superior to the VLR-CAR in delaying disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil S Raikar
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Lauren C Fleischer
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Robert Moot
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Andrew Fedanov
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Na Yoon Paik
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Kristopher A Knight
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Christopher B Doering
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - H Trent Spencer
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
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