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Bumbaca Yadav D, Reyes AE, Gupta P, Vernes JM, Meng YG, Schweiger MG, Stainton SL, Fuh G, Fielder PJ, Kamath AV, Shen BQ. Complex formation of anti-VEGF-C with VEGF-C released during blood coagulation resulted in an artifact in its serum pharmacokinetics. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2021; 8:e00573. [PMID: 32125783 PMCID: PMC7053556 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
A phage‐derived human monoclonal antibody against VEGF‐C was developed as a potential anti‐tumor therapeutic and exhibited fast clearance in preclinical species, with notably faster clearance in serum than in plasma. The purpose of this work was to understand the factors contributing to its fast clearance. In vitro incubations in animal and human blood, plasma, and serum were conducted with radiolabeled anti‐VEGF‐C to determine potential protein and cell‐based interactions with the antibody as well as any matrix‐dependent recovery dependent upon the matrix. A tissue distribution study was conducted in mice with and without heparin infusion in order to identify a tissue sink and determine whether heparin could affect antibody recovery from serum and/or plasma. Incubation of radiolabeled anti‐VEGF‐C in human and animal blood, plasma, or serum revealed that the antibody formed a complex with an endogenous protein, likely VEGF‐C. This complex was trapped within the blood clot during serum preparation from blood, but not within the blood cell pellet during plasma preparation. Low level heparin infusion in mice slowed down clot formation during serum preparation and allowed for better recovery of the radiolabeled antibody in serum. No tissue sink was found in mice. Thus, during this characterization, we determined that the blood sampling matrix greatly impacted the amount of antibody recovered in the samples, therefore, altering its derived pharmacokinetic parameters. Target biology should be considered when selecting appropriate sampling matrices for PK analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Bumbaca Yadav
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Arthur E Reyes
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Priyanka Gupta
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jean-Michel Vernes
- Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Y Gloria Meng
- Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Shannon L Stainton
- Safety Assessment Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Germaine Fuh
- Antibody Engineering Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Paul J Fielder
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Amrita V Kamath
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ben-Quan Shen
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics Department, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
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Künnapuu J, Bokharaie H, Jeltsch M. Proteolytic Cleavages in the VEGF Family: Generating Diversity among Angiogenic VEGFs, Essential for the Activation of Lymphangiogenic VEGFs. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:167. [PMID: 33672235 PMCID: PMC7926383 DOI: 10.3390/biology10020167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Specific proteolytic cleavages turn on, modify, or turn off the activity of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs). Proteolysis is most prominent among the lymph-angiogenic VEGF-C and VEGF-D, which are synthesized as precursors that need to undergo enzymatic removal of their C- and N-terminal propeptides before they can activate their receptors. At least five different proteases mediate the activating cleavage of VEGF-C: plasmin, ADAMTS3, prostate-specific antigen, cathepsin D, and thrombin. All of these proteases except for ADAMTS3 can also activate VEGF-D. Processing by different proteases results in distinct forms of the "mature" growth factors, which differ in affinity and receptor activation potential. The "default" VEGF-C-activating enzyme ADAMTS3 does not activate VEGF-D, and therefore, VEGF-C and VEGF-D do function in different contexts. VEGF-C itself is also regulated in different contexts by distinct proteases. During embryonic development, ADAMTS3 activates VEGF-C. The other activating proteases are likely important for non-developmental lymphangiogenesis during, e.g., tissue regeneration, inflammation, immune response, and pathological tumor-associated lymphangiogenesis. The better we understand these events at the molecular level, the greater our chances of developing successful therapies targeting VEGF-C and VEGF-D for diseases involving the lymphatics such as lymphedema or cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaana Künnapuu
- Drug Research Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (J.K.); (H.B.)
| | - Honey Bokharaie
- Drug Research Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (J.K.); (H.B.)
| | - Michael Jeltsch
- Drug Research Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (J.K.); (H.B.)
- Individualized Drug Therapy Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Wihuri Research Institute, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
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