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Knödler M, Frank K, Kerpen L, Buyel JF. Design, optimization, production and activity testing of recombinant immunotoxins expressed in plants and plant cells for the treatment of monocytic leukemia. Bioengineered 2023; 14:2244235. [PMID: 37598369 PMCID: PMC10444015 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2023.2244235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) can improve therapeutic indices compared to plain monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). However, ADC synthesis is complex because the components are produced separately in CHO cells (mAb) and often by chemical synthesis (drug). They are individually purified, coupled, and then the ADC is purified, increasing production costs compared to regular mAbs. In contrast, it is easier to produce recombinant fusion proteins consisting of an antibody derivative, linker and proteinaceous toxin, i.e. a recombinant immunotoxin (RIT). Plants are capable of the post-translational modifications needed for functional antibodies and can also express active protein toxins such as the recombinant mistletoe lectin viscumin, which is not possible in prokaryotes and mammalian cells respectively. Here, we used Nicotiana benthamiana and N. tabacum plants as well as tobacco BY-2 cell-based plant cell packs (PCPs) to produce effective RITs targeting CD64 as required for the treatment of myelomonocytic leukemia. We compared RITs with different subcellular targeting signals, linkers, and proteinaceous toxins. The accumulation of selected candidates was improved to ~ 40 mg kg-1 wet biomass using a design of experiments approach, and corresponding proteins were isolated with a purity of ~ 80% using an optimized affinity chromatography method with an overall yield of ~ 84%. One anti-CD64 targeted viscumin-based drug candidate was characterized in terms of storage stability and cytotoxicity test in vitro using human myelomonocytic leukemia cell lines. We identified bottlenecks in the plant-based expression platform that require further improvement and assessed critical process parameters that should be considered during process development for plant-made RITs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Knödler
- Bioprocess Engineering, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany
- Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Katharina Frank
- Bioprocess Engineering, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany
- Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Lucy Kerpen
- Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Johannes Felix Buyel
- Bioprocess Engineering, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany
- Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Institute of Bioprocess Science and Engineering (IBSE), Vienna, Austria
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2
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Wang Q, Zhang N, Liu L, Ma L, Tan Y, Liu X, Wu J, Chen G, Li X, Liang Y, Zhou F. Comprehensive analysis of clinical prognostic features and tumor microenvironment landscape of CD11b +CD64 + patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2023; 46:1253-1268. [PMID: 37071330 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-023-00808-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunophenotyping surface molecules detected in the clinic are mainly applied in diagnostic confirmation and subtyping. However, the immunomodulatory molecules CD11b and CD64, are highly associated with leukemogenesis. Hence, the prognostic value of them and their potential biological functions merit further investigation. METHODS Flow cytometry was operated to detect immunophenotypic molecules from AML bone marrow samples. Multivariate cox regression, Kaplan-Meier analyses, and nomogram were conducted to predict survival. Transcriptomic data, lymphocyte subsets, and immunohistochemical staining were incorporated to identify potential biological functions of prognostic immunophenotype in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). RESULTS We classified 315 newly diagnosed AML patients of our center based on the expression of CD11b and CD64. The CD11b+CD64+ populations were identified as independent risk factors for overall survival and event-free survival of AML, exhibiting specific clinicopathological features. The predictive models based on CD11b+CD64+ showed high classification performance. In addition, the CD11b+CD64+ subset, characterized by high inhibitory immune checkpoints, M2-macrophage infiltration, low anti-tumor effector cells infiltration, as well as abnormal somatic mutation landscape, presented a distinctive tumor microenvironmental landscape. The CD11b+CD64+ population showd a higher expression of BCL2, and the drug sensitivity indicated that they presented a lower half-maximal inhibitory concentration value for BCL2 inhibitor, and could benefit more from the above medicine. CONCLUSIONS This work might be of benefit to enhanced understanding of CD11b+CD64+ in the prognosis and leukemogenesis, and yielded novel biomarkers to guide immunotherapy and targeted therapy for AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wang
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, No.169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, No.169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Li Liu
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, No.169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Linlu Ma
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, No.169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yuxin Tan
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, No.169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Xiaoyan Liu
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, No.169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Jinxian Wu
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, No.169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Guopeng Chen
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, No.169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Xinqi Li
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, No.169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yuxing Liang
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, No.169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Fuling Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, No.169 Donghu Road, Wuhan, 430072, China.
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Identification of immune-related and autophagy-related genes for the prediction of survival in bladder cancer. BMC Genom Data 2022; 23:60. [PMID: 35909123 PMCID: PMC9341065 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-022-01073-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bladder cancer has the characteristics of high morbidity and mortality, and the prevalence of bladder cancer has been increasing in recent years. Immune and autophagy related genes play important roles in cancer, but there are few studies on their effects on the prognosis of bladder cancer patients. Methods Using gene expression data from the TCGA-BLCA database, we clustered bladder cancer samples into 6 immune-related and autophagy-related molecular subtypes with different prognostic outcomes based on 2208 immune-related and autophagy-related genes. Six subtypes were divided into two groups which had significantly different prognosis. Differential expression analysis was used to explore genes closely related to the progression of bladder cancer. Then we used Cox stepwise regression to define a combination of gene expression levels and immune infiltration indexes to construct the risk model. Finally, we built a Nomogram which consist of risk score and several other prognosis-related clinical indicators. Results The risk model suggested that high expression of C5AR2, CSF3R, FBXW10, FCAR, GHR, OLR1, PGLYRP3, RASGRP4, S100A12 was associated with poor prognosis, while high expression level of CD96, IL10, MEFV pointed to a better prognosis. Validation by internal and external dataset suggested that our risk model had a high ability to discriminate between the outcomes of patients with bladder cancer. The immunohistochemical results basically confirmed our results. The C-Index value and Calibration curves verified the robustness of Nomogram. Conclusions Our study constructed a model that included a risk score for patients with bladder cancer, which provided a lot of helps to predict the prognosis of patients with bladder cancer. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12863-022-01073-7.
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Pang Z, Gu MD, Tang T. Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Cancer Therapy: Current Knowledge, Challenges and Future Perspectives. Front Oncol 2022; 12:891187. [PMID: 35574361 PMCID: PMC9095937 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.891187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance, undesirable toxicity and lack of selectivity are the major challenges of conventional cancer therapies, which cause poor clinical outcomes and high mortality in many cancer patients. Development of alternative cancer therapeutics are highly required for the patients who are resistant to the conventional cancer therapies, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The success of a new cancer therapy depends on its high specificity to cancer cells and low toxicity to normal cells. Utilization of bacteria has emerged as a promising strategy for cancer treatment. Attenuated or genetically modified bacteria were used to inhibit tumor growth, modulate host immunity, or deliver anti-tumor agents. The bacteria-derived immunotoxins were capable of destructing tumors with high specificity. These bacteria-based strategies for cancer treatment have shown potent anti-tumor effects both in vivo and in vitro, and some of them have proceeded to clinical trials. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen, is one of the common bacteria used in development of bacteria-based cancer therapy, particularly known for the Pseudomonas exotoxin A-based immunotoxins, which have shown remarkable anti-tumor efficacy and specificity. This review concisely summarizes the current knowledge regarding the utilization of P. aeruginosa in cancer treatment, and discusses the challenges and future perspectives of the P. aeruginosa-based therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Pang
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Meng-Di Gu
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Tong Tang
- School of Art & Design, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, China
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A recombinant VSV-vectored vaccine rapidly protects nonhuman primates against lethal Nipah virus disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2200065119. [PMID: 35286211 PMCID: PMC8944267 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2200065119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Concern has increased about the pandemic potential of Nipah virus (NiV). Similar to SARS-CoV-2, NiV is an RNA virus that is transmitted by respiratory droplets. There are currently no NiV vaccines licensed for human use. While several preventive vaccines have shown promise in protecting animals against lethal NiV disease, most studies have assessed protection 1 mo after vaccination. However, in order to contain and control outbreaks, vaccines that can rapidly confer protection in days rather than months are needed. Here, we show that a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus vector expressing the NiV glycoprotein can completely protect monkeys vaccinated 7 d prior to NiV exposure and 67% of animals vaccinated 3 d before NiV challenge. Nipah virus (NiV) is an emerging highly lethal zoonotic disease that, like SARS-CoV-2, can be transmitted via respiratory droplets. Single-injection vaccines that rapidly control NiV outbreaks are needed. To assess the ability of a vaccine to induce fast-acting protection, we immunized African green monkeys with a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) expressing the Bangladesh strain glycoprotein (NiVBG) of NiV (rVSV-ΔG-NiVBG). Monkeys were challenged 3 or 7 d later with a lethal dose of NiVB. All monkeys vaccinated with rVSV-ΔG-NiVBG 7 d prior to NiVB exposure were protected from lethal disease, while 67% of animals vaccinated 3 d before NiVB challenge survived. Vaccine protection correlated with natural killer cell and cytotoxic T cell transcriptional signatures, whereas lethality was linked to sustained interferon signaling. NiV G-specific antibodies in vaccinated survivors corroborated additional transcriptomic findings, supporting activation of humoral immunity. This study demonstrates that rVSV-based vaccines may have utility in rapidly protecting humans against NiV infection.
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Schmidt C, Weißmüller S, Bohländer F, Germer M, König M, Staus A, Wartenberg-Demand A, Heinz CC, Schüttrumpf J. The Dual Role of a Polyvalent IgM/IgA-Enriched Immunoglobulin Preparation in Activating and Inhibiting the Complement System. Biomedicines 2021; 9:817. [PMID: 34356880 PMCID: PMC8301464 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9070817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of the complement system is important for efficient clearance of a wide variety of pathogens via opsonophagocytosis, or by direct lysis via complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC). However, in severe infections dysregulation of the complement system contributes to hyperinflammation. The influence of the novel IgM/IgA-enriched immunoglobulin preparation trimodulin on the complement pathway was investigated in in vitro opsonophagocytosis, binding and CDC assays. Immunoglobulin levels before and after trimodulin treatment were placed in relation to complement assessments in humans. In vitro, trimodulin activates complement and induces opsonophagocytosis, but also interacts with opsonins C3b, C4b and anaphylatoxin C5a in a concentration-dependent manner. This was not observed for standard intravenous IgG preparation (IVIg). Accordingly, trimodulin, but not IVIg, inhibited the downstream CDC pathway and target cell lysis. If applied at a similar concentration range in healthy subjects, trimodulin treatment resulted in C3 and C4 consumption in a concentration-dependent manner, which was extended in patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia. Complement consumption is found to be dependent on underlying immunoglobulin levels, particularly IgM, pinpointing their regulative function in humans. IgM/IgA provide a balancing effect on the complement system. Trimodulin may enhance phagocytosis and opsonophagocytosis in patients with severe infections and prevent excessive pathogen lysis and release of harmful anaphylatoxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Schmidt
- Department of Translational Research, Biotest AG, Landsteinerstraße 5, 63303 Dreieich, Germany; (C.S.); (M.K.)
| | - Sabrina Weißmüller
- Department of Translational Research, Biotest AG, Landsteinerstraße 5, 63303 Dreieich, Germany; (C.S.); (M.K.)
| | - Fabian Bohländer
- Department of Analytical Development and Validation, Biotest AG, Landsteinerstraße 5, 63303 Dreieich, Germany;
| | - Matthias Germer
- Preclinical Research, Biotest AG, Landsteinerstraße 5, 63303 Dreieich, Germany;
| | - Martin König
- Department of Translational Research, Biotest AG, Landsteinerstraße 5, 63303 Dreieich, Germany; (C.S.); (M.K.)
| | - Alexander Staus
- Corporate Biostatistics, Biotest AG, Landsteinerstraße 5, 63303 Dreieich, Germany;
| | - Andrea Wartenberg-Demand
- Corporate Clinical Research & Development, Biotest AG, Landsteinerstraße 5, 63303 Dreieich, Germany;
| | - Corina C. Heinz
- Clinical Strategy & Development, Biotest AG, Landsteinerstraße 5, 63303 Dreieich, Germany;
| | - Jörg Schüttrumpf
- Corporate R&D, Biotest AG, Landsteinerstraße 5, 63303 Dreieich, Germany;
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Knödler M, Buyel JF. Plant-made immunotoxin building blocks: A roadmap for producing therapeutic antibody-toxin fusions. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 47:107683. [PMID: 33373687 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Molecular farming in plants is an emerging platform for the production of pharmaceutical proteins, and host species such as tobacco are now becoming competitive with commercially established production hosts based on bacteria and mammalian cell lines. The range of recombinant therapeutic proteins produced in plants includes replacement enzymes, vaccines and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). But plants can also be used to manufacture toxins, such as the mistletoe lectin viscumin, providing an opportunity to express active antibody-toxin fusion proteins, so-called recombinant immunotoxins (RITs). Mammalian production systems are currently used to produce antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which require the separate expression and purification of each component followed by a complex and hazardous coupling procedure. In contrast, RITs made in plants are expressed in a single step and could therefore reduce production and purification costs. The costs can be reduced further if subcellular compartments that accumulate large quantities of the stable protein are identified and optimal plant growth conditions are selected. In this review, we first provide an overview of the current state of RIT production in plants before discussing the three key components of RITs in detail. The specificity-defining domain (often an antibody) binds cancer cells, including solid tumors and hematological malignancies. The toxin provides the means to kill target cells. Toxins from different species with different modes of action can be used for this purpose. Finally, the linker spaces the two other components to ensure they adopt a stable, functional conformation, and may also promote toxin release inside the cell. Given the diversity of these components, we extract broad principles that can be used as recommendations for the development of effective RITs. Future research should focus on such proteins to exploit the advantages of plants as efficient production platforms for targeted anti-cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Knödler
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstrasse 6, Aachen 52074, Germany; Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, Aachen 52074, Germany.
| | - J F Buyel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstrasse 6, Aachen 52074, Germany; Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, Aachen 52074, Germany.
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Woitok M, Grieger E, Akinrinmade OA, Bethke S, Pham AT, Stein C, Fendel R, Fischer R, Barth S, Niesen J. Using the SNAP-Tag technology to easily measure and demonstrate apoptotic changes in cancer and blood cells with different dyes. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0243286. [PMID: 33270761 PMCID: PMC7714129 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro and ex vivo development of novel therapeutic agents requires reliable and accurate analyses of the cell conditions they were preclinical tested for, such as apoptosis. The detection of apoptotic cells by annexin V (AV) coupled to fluorophores has often shown limitations in the choice of the dye due to interference with other fluorescent-labeled cell markers. The SNAP-tag technology is an easy, rapid and versatile method for functionalization of proteins and was therefore used for labeling AV with various fluorophores. We generated the fusion protein AV-SNAP and analyzed its capacity for the specific display of apoptotic cells in various assays with therapeutic agents. AV-SNAP showed an efficient coupling reaction with five different fluorescent dyes. Two selected fluorophores were tested with suspension, adherent and peripheral blood cells, treated by heat-shock or apoptosis-inducing therapeutic agents. Flow cytometry analysis of apoptotic cells revealed a strong visualization using AV-SNAP coupled to these two fluorophores exemplary, which was comparable to a commercial AV-Assay-kit. The combination of the apoptosis-specific binding protein AV with the SNAP-tag provides a novel solid method to facilitate protein labeling using several, easy to change, fluorescent dyes at once. It avoids high costs and allows an ordinary exchange of dyes and easier use of other fluorescent-labeled cell markers, which is of high interest for the preclinical testing of therapeutic agents in e.g. cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mira Woitok
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (Biology VII), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Elena Grieger
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Aachen, Germany
| | - Olusiji A. Akinrinmade
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Susanne Bethke
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (Biology VII), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Anh Tuan Pham
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Aachen, Germany
| | - Christoph Stein
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Aachen, Germany
| | - Rolf Fendel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Rainer Fischer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (Biology VII), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan Barth
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Judith Niesen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Aachen, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Mildred Scheel Cancer Career Center HaTriCS4, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Research Institute Children’s Cancer Center, Hamburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Tan Y, Li Y, Tang F. Nucleic Acid Aptamer: A Novel Potential Diagnostic and Therapeutic Tool for Leukemia. Onco Targets Ther 2019; 12:10597-10613. [PMID: 31824168 PMCID: PMC6900352 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s223946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Leukemia immunotherapy has been dominant via using synthetic antibodies to target cluster of differentiation (CD) molecules, nevertheless inevitable cytotoxicity and immunogenicity would limit its development. Recently, increasing reports have focused on nucleic acid aptamers, a class of high-affinity nucleic acid ligands. Aptamers purportedly serve as “chemical antibodies”, have negligible cytotoxicity and low immunogenicity, and would be widely applied for the therapy and diagnosis of various diseases, especially leukemia. In the preclinical applications, nucleic acid aptamers have displayed the augmented specificity and selectivity via recognizing targets on leukemia cells based on unique three-dimensional conformations. As small molecules with nucleic acid characteristics, aptamers need to be chemically modified to resist nuclease degradation, renal clearance and improve binding affinities. Moreover, aptamers can be linked with neoteric detection techniques to enhance sensitivity and selectivity of diagnosis and therapy. In this review, we summarized aptamers’ preparation, chemical modification and conjugation, and discussed the application of aptamers in diagnosis and treatment of leukemia through highly specifically recognizing target molecules. Significantly, the application prospect of aptamers in fusion genes would be introduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Tan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuejin Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Faqing Tang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, People's Republic of China
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10
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CD64-directed microtubule associated protein tau kills leukemic blasts ex vivo. Oncotarget 2018; 7:67166-67174. [PMID: 27564103 PMCID: PMC5341865 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Fc gamma receptor I (FcγRI, CD64) is a well-known target antigen for passive immunotherapy against acute myeloid leukemia and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. We recently reported the preclinical immunotherapeutic potential of microtubule associated protein tau (MAP) against a variety of cancer types including breast carcinoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma. Here we demonstrate that the CD64-directed human cytolytic fusion protein H22(scFv)-MAP kills ex vivo 15–50% of CD64+ leukemic blasts derived from seven myeloid leukemia patients. Furthermore, in contrast to the nonspecific cytostatic agent paclitaxel, H22(scFv)-MAP showed no cytotoxicity towards healthy CD64+ PBMC-derived cells and macrophages. The targeted delivery of this microtubule stabilizing agent therefore offers a promising new strategy for specific treatment of CD64+ leukemia.
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Grieger E, Gresch G, Niesen J, Woitok M, Barth S, Fischer R, Fendel R, Stein C. Efficient targeting of CD13 on cancer cells by the immunotoxin scFv13-ETA' and the bispecific scFv [13xds16]. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2017; 143:2159-2170. [PMID: 28669053 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-017-2468-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Treatment of cancer using standard chemotherapy still offers a poor prognosis combined with severe side effects. Novel antibody-based therapies have been shown to overcome low efficiency and lack of selectivity by targeting cancer-associated antigens, such as aminopeptidase CD13. METHODS We isolated a high-affinity CD13-specific single-chain fragment variable (scFv13) from a phage display library of V-genes from mice immunized with soluble antigen. An immunotoxin comprising the scFv13 and a truncated version of the exotoxin A of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ETA', scFv13-ETA') and a bispecific scFv targeting CD13 and CD16 simultaneously (bsscFv[13xds16]) was generated and investigated for their therapeutic potential. RESULTS Both fusion proteins bound specifically to target cells with high affinity. Furthermore, scFv13-ETA' inhibited the proliferation of human cancer cell lines efficiently at low concentrations (IC50 values of 408 pM-7 nM) and induced apoptosis (40-85% of target cells). The bsscFv triggered dose-dependent antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, resulting in the lysis of up to 23.9% A2058 cells, 18.0% MDA-MB-468 cells and 19.1% HL-60 cells. CONCLUSION The provided data demonstrate potent therapeutic activity of the scFv13-ETA' and the bsscFv[13xds16]. The CD13-specific scFv is therefore suitable for the direct and specific delivery of both cytotoxic agents and effector cells to cancer-derived cells, making it ideal for further therapeutic evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Grieger
- Department of Immunotherapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstr. 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
- Institute for Applied Medical Engineering, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 20, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Gerrit Gresch
- Department of Immunotherapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstr. 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute for Applied Medical Engineering, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 20, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Judith Niesen
- Department of Immunotherapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstr. 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Mira Woitok
- Department of Immunotherapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstr. 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan Barth
- Department of Immunotherapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstr. 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute for Applied Medical Engineering, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 20, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
| | - Rainer Fischer
- Department of Immunotherapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstr. 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Rolf Fendel
- Department of Immunotherapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstr. 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Christoph Stein
- Department of Immunotherapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstr. 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute for Applied Medical Engineering, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 20, 52074, Aachen, Germany
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Gresch G, Schenke L, Mladenov R, Zwirner S, Cremer C, Niesen J, Grieger E, Brümmendorf T, Jost E, Fischer R, Stockmeyer B, Barth S, Nachreiner T, Stein C. Elimination of different leukaemia subtypes using novel CD89-specific human cytolytic fusion proteins. Br J Haematol 2017; 183:313-317. [PMID: 29048126 DOI: 10.1111/bjh.14971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gerrit Gresch
- Department of Immunotherapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany.,Institute for Applied Medical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Lea Schenke
- Department of Immunotherapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany.,Institute for Applied Medical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Radoslav Mladenov
- Department of Immunotherapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan Zwirner
- Department of Immunotherapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany
| | - Christian Cremer
- Institute for Applied Medical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Judith Niesen
- Department of Immunotherapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany
| | - Elena Grieger
- Department of Immunotherapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany.,Institute for Applied Medical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Tim Brümmendorf
- Department of Haematology and Oncology (Internal Medicine IV), RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Edgar Jost
- Department of Haematology and Oncology (Internal Medicine IV), RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Rainer Fischer
- Department of Immunotherapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany
| | - Bernhard Stockmeyer
- Department of Internal Medicine 5, Haematology/Oncology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Stefan Barth
- Department of Immunotherapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany.,Institute for Applied Medical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany.,South African Research Chair in Cancer Biotechnology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM), Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Thomas Nachreiner
- Institute for Applied Medical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Christoph Stein
- Department of Immunotherapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany.,Institute for Applied Medical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
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Heineke MH, van Egmond M. Immunoglobulin A: magic bullet or Trojan horse? Eur J Clin Invest 2017; 47:184-192. [PMID: 28024097 DOI: 10.1111/eci.12716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neutrophils participate in the first line of defense by executing several killing mechanisms, including phagocytosis, degranulation and the release of neutrophil extracellular traps. Additionally, they can orchestrate the adaptive immune system by secreting cytokines and chemokines. Opsonization with antibodies aids in the recognition of pathogens, via binding to Fc receptors on the neutrophil surface. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is the most abundant antibody at mucosal sites and has multiple functions in homeostasis and immunity. Neutrophils and IgA can interact via the IgA Fc receptor Fc?RI (CD89), leading to pro- or anti-inflammatory responses. AIMS The aim of this review is to give a concise overview of the interplay between IgA, Fc?RI and neutrophils and to explore potential therapies for autoimmune diseases and cancer. RESULTS Crosslinking of FcαRI by IgA-immune complexes yields potent neutrophil activation and pro-inflammatory effector functions, including the recruitment of neutrophils. This can lead to neutrophil accumulation and tissue destruction during IgA-autoantibody mediated diseases. Conversely, for cancer treatment, the myriad of powerful neutrophil effector functions after targeting FcαRI may contribute to effective immunotherapy. CONCLUSION By interfering with or actively promoting the interaction between IgA and FcαRI, therapies for multiple maladies could be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke H Heineke
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marjolein van Egmond
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Surgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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A novel fully-human cytolytic fusion protein based on granzyme B shows in vitro cytotoxicity and ex vivo binding to solid tumors overexpressing the epidermal growth factor receptor. Cancer Lett 2016; 374:229-40. [PMID: 26912070 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2016.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Revised: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Human cytolytic fusion proteins (hCFPs) offer a promising immunotherapeutic approach for the treatment of solid tumors, avoiding the immunogenicity and undesirable side-effects caused by immunotoxins derived from plants or bacteria. The well-characterized human serine protease granzyme B has already been used as a therapeutic pro-apoptotic effector domain. We therefore developed a novel recombinant hCFP (GbR201K-scFv1711) consisting of an epidermal growth factor receptor-specific human antibody fragment and a granzyme B point mutant (R201K) that is insensitive to serpin B9 (PI9), a natural inhibitor of wild-type granzyme B that is often expressed in solid tumors. We found that GbR201K-scFv1711 selectively bound to epidermoid cancer and rhabdomyosarcoma cells and was rapidly internalized by them. Nanomolar concentrations of GbR201K-scFv1711 achieved the specific killing of epidermoid cancer cells by inducing apoptosis, and similar effects were observed in rhabdomyosarcoma cells when GbR201K-scFv1711 was combined with the endosomolytic substance chloroquine. The novel hCFP was stable in serum and bound to human rhabdomyosarcoma tissue ex vivo. These data confirm that GbR201K-scFv1711 is a promising therapeutic candidate suitable for further clinical investigation.
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Rashidi A, Walter RB. Antigen-specific immunotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia: where are we now, and where do we go from here? Expert Rev Hematol 2016; 9:335-50. [DOI: 10.1586/17474086.2016.1142868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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