1
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Garaulet G, Báez BB, Medrano G, Rivas-Sánchez M, Sánchez-Alonso D, Martinez-Torrecuadrada JL, Mulero F. Radioimmunotheragnosis in Cancer Research. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2896. [PMID: 39199666 PMCID: PMC11352548 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16162896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Revised: 08/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The combination of immunoPET-where an antibody (Ab) is labeled with an isotope for PET imaging-and radioimmunotherapy (RIT), using the same antibody with a therapeutic isotope, offers significant advantages in cancer management. ImmunoPET allows non-invasive imaging of antigen expression, which aids in patient selection for subsequent radioimmunotherapy. It also facilitates the assessment of tumor response to therapy, allowing for treatment adjustments if necessary. In addition, immunoPET provides critical pharmacokinetic data, including antibody biodistribution and clearance rates, which are essential for dosimetry calculations and treatment protocol optimization. There are still challenges to overcome. Identifying appropriate target antigens that are selectively expressed on cancer cells while minimally expressed on normal tissues remains a major hurdle to reduce off-target toxicity. In addition, it is critical to optimize the pharmacokinetics of radiolabeled antibodies to maximize tumor uptake and minimize normal tissue uptake, particularly in vital organs such as the liver and kidney. This approach offers the potential for targeted and personalized cancer therapy with reduced systemic toxicity by exploiting the specificity of monoclonal antibodies and the cytotoxic effects of radiation. However, further research is needed to address remaining challenges and to optimize these technologies for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Garaulet
- Molecular Imaging Unit, Spanish National Cancer Center—CNIO, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (G.G.); (B.B.B.); (G.M.)
| | - Bárbara Beatriz Báez
- Molecular Imaging Unit, Spanish National Cancer Center—CNIO, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (G.G.); (B.B.B.); (G.M.)
| | - Guillermo Medrano
- Molecular Imaging Unit, Spanish National Cancer Center—CNIO, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (G.G.); (B.B.B.); (G.M.)
| | - María Rivas-Sánchez
- Protein Production Unit, Spanish National Cancer Center—CNIO, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (M.R.-S.); (D.S.-A.)
| | - David Sánchez-Alonso
- Protein Production Unit, Spanish National Cancer Center—CNIO, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (M.R.-S.); (D.S.-A.)
| | | | - Francisca Mulero
- Molecular Imaging Unit, Spanish National Cancer Center—CNIO, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (G.G.); (B.B.B.); (G.M.)
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2
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Arras P, Zimmermann J, Lipinski B, Valldorf B, Evers A, Elter D, Krah S, Doerner A, Guarnera E, Siegmund V, Kolmar H, Pekar L, Zielonka S. Bovine ultralong CDR-H3 derived knob paratopes elicit potent TNF-α neutralization and enable the generation of novel adalimumab-based antibody architectures with augmented features. Biol Chem 2024; 405:461-470. [PMID: 38373142 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2023-0370] [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: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
In this work we have generated cattle-derived chimeric ultralong CDR-H3 antibodies targeting tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) via immunization and yeast surface display. We identified one particular ultralong CDR-H3 paratope that potently neutralized TNF-α. Interestingly, grafting of the knob architecture onto a peripheral loop of the CH3 domain of the Fc part of an IgG1 resulted in the generation of a TNF-α neutralizing Fc (Fcknob) that did not show any potency loss compared with the parental chimeric IgG format. Eventually, grafting this knob onto the CH3 region of adalimumab enabled the engineering of a novel TNF-α targeting antibody architecture displaying augmented TNF-α inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Arras
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Straße 250, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
- Biomolecular Immunotherapy, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Peter-Grünberg-Strasse 4, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
- Targeted mRNA Delivery, Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Straße 250, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jasmin Zimmermann
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Straße 250, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Britta Lipinski
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Straße 250, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
- Biomolecular Immunotherapy, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Peter-Grünberg-Strasse 4, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Bernhard Valldorf
- Targeted mRNA Delivery, Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Straße 250, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Andreas Evers
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Straße 250, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Desislava Elter
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Straße 250, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Simon Krah
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Straße 250, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Achim Doerner
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Straße 250, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Enrico Guarnera
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Straße 250, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Vanessa Siegmund
- Early Protein Supply & Characterization, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Straße 250, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Harald Kolmar
- Applied Biochemistry, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Peter-Grünberg-Strasse 4, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Lukas Pekar
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Straße 250, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Stefan Zielonka
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Straße 250, D-64293 Darmstadt, Germany
- Biomolecular Immunotherapy, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Peter-Grünberg-Strasse 4, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
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3
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Gordon GL, Raybould MIJ, Wong A, Deane CM. Prospects for the computational humanization of antibodies and nanobodies. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1399438. [PMID: 38812514 PMCID: PMC11133524 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1399438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
To be viable therapeutics, antibodies must be tolerated by the human immune system. Rational approaches to reduce the risk of unwanted immunogenicity involve maximizing the 'humanness' of the candidate drug. However, despite the emergence of new discovery technologies, many of which start from entirely human gene fragments, most antibody therapeutics continue to be derived from non-human sources with concomitant humanization to increase their human compatibility. Early experimental humanization strategies that focus on CDR loop grafting onto human frameworks have been critical to the dominance of this discovery route but do not consider the context of each antibody sequence, impacting their success rate. Other challenges include the simultaneous optimization of other drug-like properties alongside humanness and the humanization of fundamentally non-human modalities such as nanobodies. Significant efforts have been made to develop in silico methodologies able to address these issues, most recently incorporating machine learning techniques. Here, we outline these recent advancements in antibody and nanobody humanization, focusing on computational strategies that make use of the increasing volume of sequence and structural data available and the validation of these tools. We highlight that structural distinctions between antibodies and nanobodies make the application of antibody-focused in silico tools to nanobody humanization non-trivial. Furthermore, we discuss the effects of humanizing mutations on other essential drug-like properties such as binding affinity and developability, and methods that aim to tackle this multi-parameter optimization problem.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Charlotte M. Deane
- Oxford Protein Informatics Group, Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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4
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Pekar L, Krah S, Zielonka S. Taming the beast: engineering strategies and biomedical potential of antibody-based cytokine mimetics. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2024:1-4. [PMID: 38385844 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2024.2322062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Pekar
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Simon Krah
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Stefan Zielonka
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
- Biomolecular Immunotherapy, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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5
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Mullin M, McClory J, Haynes W, Grace J, Robertson N, van Heeke G. Applications and challenges in designing VHH-based bispecific antibodies: leveraging machine learning solutions. MAbs 2024; 16:2341443. [PMID: 38666503 PMCID: PMC11057648 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2024.2341443] [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: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of bispecific antibodies that bind at least two different targets relies on bringing together multiple binding domains with different binding properties and biophysical characteristics to produce a drug-like therapeutic. These building blocks play an important role in the overall quality of the molecule and can influence many important aspects from potency and specificity to stability and half-life. Single-domain antibodies, particularly camelid-derived variable heavy domain of heavy chain (VHH) antibodies, are becoming an increasingly popular choice for bispecific construction due to their single-domain modularity, favorable biophysical properties, and potential to work in multiple antibody formats. Here, we review the use of VHH domains as building blocks in the construction of multispecific antibodies and the challenges in creating optimized molecules. In addition to exploring traditional approaches to VHH development, we review the integration of machine learning techniques at various stages of the process. Specifically, the utilization of machine learning for structural prediction, lead identification, lead optimization, and humanization of VHH antibodies.
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6
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Fernández-Quintero ML, Pomarici ND, Fischer ALM, Hoerschinger VJ, Kroell KB, Riccabona JR, Kamenik AS, Loeffler JR, Ferguson JA, Perrett HR, Liedl KR, Han J, Ward AB. Structure and Dynamics Guiding Design of Antibody Therapeutics and Vaccines. Antibodies (Basel) 2023; 12:67. [PMID: 37873864 PMCID: PMC10594513 DOI: 10.3390/antib12040067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibodies and other new antibody-like formats have emerged as one of the most rapidly growing classes of biotherapeutic proteins. Understanding the structural features that drive antibody function and, consequently, their molecular recognition is critical for engineering antibodies. Here, we present the structural architecture of conventional IgG antibodies alongside other formats. We emphasize the importance of considering antibodies as conformational ensembles in solution instead of focusing on single-static structures because their functions and properties are strongly governed by their dynamic nature. Thus, in this review, we provide an overview of the unique structural and dynamic characteristics of antibodies with respect to their antigen recognition, biophysical properties, and effector functions. We highlight the numerous technical advances in antibody structure prediction and design, enabled by the vast number of experimentally determined high-quality structures recorded with cryo-EM, NMR, and X-ray crystallography. Lastly, we assess antibody and vaccine design strategies in the context of structure and dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica L. Fernández-Quintero
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Nancy D. Pomarici
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Anna-Lena M. Fischer
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Valentin J. Hoerschinger
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Katharina B. Kroell
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Jakob R. Riccabona
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Anna S. Kamenik
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Johannes R. Loeffler
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - James A. Ferguson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Hailee R. Perrett
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Klaus R. Liedl
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Julianna Han
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Andrew B. Ward
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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7
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Arras P, Yoo HB, Pekar L, Clarke T, Friedrich L, Schröter C, Schanz J, Tonillo J, Siegmund V, Doerner A, Krah S, Guarnera E, Zielonka S, Evers A. AI/ML combined with next-generation sequencing of VHH immune repertoires enables the rapid identification of de novo humanized and sequence-optimized single domain antibodies: a prospective case study. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1249247. [PMID: 37842638 PMCID: PMC10575757 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1249247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: In this study, we demonstrate the feasibility of yeast surface display (YSD) and nextgeneration sequencing (NGS) in combination with artificial intelligence and machine learning methods (AI/ML) for the identification of de novo humanized single domain antibodies (sdAbs) with favorable early developability profiles. Methods: The display library was derived from a novel approach, in which VHH-based CDR3 regions obtained from a llama (Lama glama), immunized against NKp46, were grafted onto a humanized VHH backbone library that was diversified in CDR1 and CDR2. Following NGS analysis of sequence pools from two rounds of fluorescence-activated cell sorting we focused on four sequence clusters based on NGS frequency and enrichment analysis as well as in silico developability assessment. For each cluster, long short-term memory (LSTM) based deep generative models were trained and used for the in silico sampling of new sequences. Sequences were subjected to sequence- and structure-based in silico developability assessment to select a set of less than 10 sequences per cluster for production. Results: As demonstrated by binding kinetics and early developability assessment, this procedure represents a general strategy for the rapid and efficient design of potent and automatically humanized sdAb hits from screening selections with favorable early developability profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Arras
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Han Byul Yoo
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Lukas Pekar
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Thomas Clarke
- Bioinformatics, EMD Serono, Billerica, MA, United States
| | - Lukas Friedrich
- Computational Chemistry and Biologics, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | - Jennifer Schanz
- ADCs & Targeted NBE Therapeutics, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jason Tonillo
- ADCs & Targeted NBE Therapeutics, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Vanessa Siegmund
- Early Protein Supply and Characterization, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Achim Doerner
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Simon Krah
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Enrico Guarnera
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Stefan Zielonka
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Andreas Evers
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
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8
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De Pauw T, De Mey L, Debacker JM, Raes G, Van Ginderachter JA, De Groof TWM, Devoogdt N. Current status and future expectations of nanobodies in oncology trials. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2023; 32:705-721. [PMID: 37638538 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2023.2249814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Monoclonal antibodies have revolutionized personalized medicine for cancer in recent decades. Despite their broad application in oncology, their large size and complexity may interfere with successful tumor targeting for certain applications of cancer diagnosis and therapy. Nanobodies have unique structural and pharmacological features compared to monoclonal antibodies and have successfully been used as complementary anti-cancer diagnostic and/or therapeutic tools. AREAS COVERED Here, an overview is given of the nanobody-based diagnostics and therapeutics that have been or are currently being tested in oncological clinical trials. Furthermore, preclinical developments, which are likely to be translated into the clinic in the near future, are highlighted. EXPERT OPINION Overall, the presented studies show the application potential of nanobodies in the field of oncology, making it likely that more nanobodies will be clinically approved in the upcoming future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa De Pauw
- In vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lynn De Mey
- In vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Nuclear Medicine Department, UZ Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jens M Debacker
- In vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Nuclear Medicine Department, UZ Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Geert Raes
- Cellular and Molecular Immunology Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Myeloid Cell Immunology Lab, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jo A Van Ginderachter
- Cellular and Molecular Immunology Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Myeloid Cell Immunology Lab, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Timo W M De Groof
- In vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nick Devoogdt
- In vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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9
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Arras P, Yoo HB, Pekar L, Schröter C, Clarke T, Krah S, Klewinghaus D, Siegmund V, Evers A, Zielonka S. A library approach for the de novo high-throughput isolation of humanized VHH domains with favorable developability properties following camelid immunization. MAbs 2023; 15:2261149. [PMID: 37766540 PMCID: PMC10540653 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2023.2261149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we generated a novel library approach for high throughput de novo identification of humanized single-domain antibodies following camelid immunization. To achieve this, VHH-derived complementarity-determining regions-3 (CDR3s) obtained from an immunized llama (Lama glama) were grafted onto humanized VHH backbones comprising moderately sequence-diversified CDR1 and CDR2 regions similar to natural immunized and naïve antibody repertoires. Importantly, these CDRs were tailored toward favorable in silico developability properties, by considering human-likeness as well as excluding potential sequence liabilities and predicted immunogenic motifs. Target-specific humanized single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) were readily obtained by yeast surface display. We demonstrate that, by exploiting this approach, high affinity sdAbs with an optimized in silico developability profile can be generated. These sdAbs display favorable biophysical, biochemical, and functional attributes and do not require any further sequence optimization. This approach is generally applicable to any antigen upon camelid immunization and has the potential to significantly accelerate candidate selection and reduce risks and attrition rates in sdAb development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Arras
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Han Byul Yoo
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
- Early Protein Supply & Characterization, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Lukas Pekar
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | | | - Simon Krah
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Daniel Klewinghaus
- Early Protein Supply & Characterization, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Vanessa Siegmund
- Early Protein Supply & Characterization, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Andreas Evers
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Stefan Zielonka
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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10
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Lipinski B, Unmuth L, Arras P, Becker S, Bauer C, Toleikis L, Krah S, Doerner A, Yanakieva D, Boje AS, Klausz K, Peipp M, Siegmund V, Evers A, Kolmar H, Pekar L, Zielonka S. Generation and engineering of potent single domain antibody-based bispecific IL-18 mimetics resistant to IL-18BP decoy receptor inhibition. MAbs 2023; 15:2236265. [PMID: 37469014 PMCID: PMC10361135 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2023.2236265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we generated bispecific antibody (bsAb) derivatives that mimic the function of interleukin (IL)-18 based on single domain antibodies (sdAbs) specific to IL-18 Rα and IL-18 Rβ. For this, camelids were immunized, followed by yeast surface display (YSD)-enabled discovery of VHHs targeting the individual receptor subunits. Upon reformatting into a strictly monovalent (1 + 1) bispecific sdAb architecture, several bsAbs triggered dose-dependent IL-18 R downstream signaling on IL-18 reporter cells, as well as IFN-γ release by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the presence of low-dose IL-12. However, compared with IL-18, potencies and efficacies were considerably attenuated. By engineering paratope valencies and the spatial orientation of individual paratopes within the overall design architecture, we were able to generate IL-18 mimetics displaying significantly augmented functionalities, resulting in bispecific cytokine mimetics that were more potent than IL-18 in triggering proinflammatory cytokine release. Furthermore, generated IL-18 mimetics were unaffected from inhibition by IL-18 binding protein decoy receptor. Essentially, we demonstrate that this strategy enables the generation of IL-18 mimetics with tailor-made cytokine functionalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britta Lipinski
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering (ADPE), Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Laura Unmuth
- Early Protein Supply and Characterization (EPSC), Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Paul Arras
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering (ADPE), Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Stefan Becker
- Early Protein Supply and Characterization (EPSC), Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Christina Bauer
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering (ADPE), Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Lars Toleikis
- Early Protein Supply and Characterization (EPSC), Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Simon Krah
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering (ADPE), Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Achim Doerner
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering (ADPE), Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Desislava Yanakieva
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering (ADPE), Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Ammelie Svea Boje
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Katja Klausz
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Matthias Peipp
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Vanessa Siegmund
- Early Protein Supply and Characterization (EPSC), Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Andreas Evers
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering (ADPE), Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Harald Kolmar
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Lukas Pekar
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering (ADPE), Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Stefan Zielonka
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering (ADPE), Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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11
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Brain Delivery of IGF1R5, a Single-Domain Antibody Targeting Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Receptor. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14071452. [PMID: 35890347 PMCID: PMC9316817 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14071452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of drugs and therapeutic antibodies to reach central nervous system (CNS) targets is greatly diminished by the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Receptor-mediated transcytosis (RMT), which is responsible for the transport of natural protein ligands across the BBB, was identified as a way to increase drug delivery to the brain. In this study, we characterized IGF1R5, which is a single-domain antibody (sdAb) that binds to insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF1R) at the BBB, as a ligand that triggers RMT and could deliver cargo molecules that otherwise do not cross the BBB. Surface plasmon resonance binding analyses demonstrated the species cross-reactivity of IGF1R5 toward IGF1R from multiple species. To overcome the short serum half-life of sdAbs, we fused IGF1R5 to the human (hFc) or mouse Fc domain (mFc). IGF1R5 in both N- and C-terminal mFc fusion showed enhanced transmigration across a rat BBB model (SV-ARBEC) in vitro. Increased levels of hFc-IGF1R5 in the cerebrospinal fluid and vessel-depleted brain parenchyma fractions further confirmed the ability of IGF1R5 to cross the BBB in vivo. We next tested whether this carrier was able to ferry a pharmacologically active payload across the BBB by measuring the hypothermic and analgesic properties of neurotensin and galanin, respectively. The fusion of IGF1R5-hFc to neurotensin induced a dose-dependent reduction in the core temperature. The reversal of hyperalgesia by galanin that was chemically linked to IGF1R5-mFc was demonstrated using the Hargreaves model of inflammatory pain. Taken together, our results provided a proof of concept that appropriate antibodies, such as IGF1R5 against IGF1R, are suitable as RMT carriers for the delivery of therapeutic cargos for CNS applications.
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Camelid Single-Domain Antibodies: Promises and Challenges as Lifesaving Treatments. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23095009. [PMID: 35563400 PMCID: PMC9100996 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23095009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery of camelid heavy-chain antibodies in 1993, there has been tremendous excitement for these antibody domains (VHHs/sdAbs/nanobodies) as research tools, diagnostics, and therapeutics. Commercially, several patents were granted to pioneering research groups in Belgium and the Netherlands between 1996–2001. Ablynx was established in 2001 with the aim of exploring the therapeutic applications and development of nanobody drugs. Extensive efforts over two decades at Ablynx led to the first approved nanobody drug, caplacizumab (Cablivi) by the EMA and FDA (2018–2019) for the treatment of rare blood clotting disorders in adults with acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TPP). The relatively long development time between camelid sdAb discovery and their entry into the market reflects the novelty of the approach, together with intellectual property restrictions and freedom-to-operate issues. The approval of the first sdAb drug, together with the expiration of key patents, may open a new horizon for the emergence of camelid sdAbs as mainstream biotherapeutics in the years to come. It remains to be seen if nanobody-based drugs will be cheaper than traditional antibodies. In this review, I provide critical perspectives on camelid sdAbs and present the promises and challenges to their widespread adoption as diagnostic and therapeutic agents.
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