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Marei H, Tsai WTK, Kee YS, Ruiz K, He J, Cox C, Sun T, Penikalapati S, Dwivedi P, Choi M, Kan D, Saenz-Lopez P, Dorighi K, Zhang P, Kschonsak YT, Kljavin N, Amin D, Kim I, Mancini AG, Nguyen T, Wang C, Janezic E, Doan A, Mai E, Xi H, Gu C, Heinlein M, Biehs B, Wu J, Lehoux I, Harris S, Comps-Agrar L, Seshasayee D, de Sauvage FJ, Grimmer M, Li J, Agard NJ, de Sousa E Melo F. Antibody targeting of E3 ubiquitin ligases for receptor degradation. Nature 2022; 610:182-189. [PMID: 36131013 PMCID: PMC9534761 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05235-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Most current therapies that target plasma membrane receptors function by antagonizing ligand binding or enzymatic activities. However, typical mammalian proteins comprise multiple domains that execute discrete but coordinated activities. Thus, inhibition of one domain often incompletely suppresses the function of a protein. Indeed, targeted protein degradation technologies, including proteolysis-targeting chimeras1 (PROTACs), have highlighted clinically important advantages of target degradation over inhibition2. However, the generation of heterobifunctional compounds binding to two targets with high affinity is complex, particularly when oral bioavailability is required3. Here we describe the development of proteolysis-targeting antibodies (PROTABs) that tether cell-surface E3 ubiquitin ligases to transmembrane proteins, resulting in target degradation both in vitro and in vivo. Focusing on zinc- and ring finger 3 (ZNRF3), a Wnt-responsive ligase, we show that this approach can enable colorectal cancer-specific degradation. Notably, by examining a matrix of additional cell-surface E3 ubiquitin ligases and transmembrane receptors, we demonstrate that this technology is amendable for ‘on-demand’ degradation. Furthermore, we offer insights on the ground rules governing target degradation by engineering optimized antibody formats. In summary, this work describes a strategy for the rapid development of potent, bioavailable and tissue-selective degraders of cell-surface proteins. Membrane-bound E3 ubiquitin ligases RNF43 and ZNRF3 are overexpressed in colorectal cancer, and can be repurposed using proteolysis-targeting antibodies (PROTABs) to selectively degrade cell-surface receptors in tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadir Marei
- Discovery Oncology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Wen-Ting K Tsai
- Antibody Engineering, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yee-Seir Kee
- Antibody Engineering, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Karen Ruiz
- Discovery Oncology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jieyan He
- Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chris Cox
- Discovery Immunology, Genentech Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tao Sun
- Molecular Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sai Penikalapati
- Microchemistry, Proteomics and Lipidomics, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Pankaj Dwivedi
- Microchemistry, Proteomics and Lipidomics, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Meena Choi
- Microchemistry, Proteomics and Lipidomics, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - David Kan
- Translational Oncology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Pamela Zhang
- Antibody Engineering, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Noelyn Kljavin
- Molecular Oncology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Dhara Amin
- Discovery Oncology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ingrid Kim
- Antibody Engineering, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Thao Nguyen
- Molecular Oncology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chunling Wang
- Discovery Oncology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Eric Janezic
- Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Doan
- Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elaine Mai
- Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Hongkang Xi
- Antibody discovery, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chen Gu
- Protein Chemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Brian Biehs
- Molecular Oncology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jia Wu
- Antibody discovery, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Isabelle Lehoux
- Biomolecular Resources, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Seth Harris
- Structural Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Jing Li
- Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
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