1
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Gallant JP, Hicks D, Shi K, Moeller NH, Hoppe B, Lake EW, Baehr C, Pravetoni M, Aihara H, LeBeau AM. Identification and biophysical characterization of a novel domain-swapped camelid antibody specific for fentanyl. J Biol Chem 2024:107502. [PMID: 38945452 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107502] [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: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Opioid use disorders (OUD) and overdoses are ever-evolving public health threats that continue to grow in incidence and prevalence in the United States and abroad. Current treatments consist of opioid receptor agonists and antagonists, which are safe and effective but still suffer from some limitations. Murine and humanized monoclonal antibodies (mAb) have emerged as an alternative and complementary strategy to reverse and prevent opioid-induced respiratory depression. To explore antibody applications beyond traditional heavy-light chain mAbs, we identified and biophysically characterized a novel single-domain antibody specific for fentanyl from a camelid variable-heavy-heavy (VHH) domain phage display library. Structural data suggested that VHH binding to fentanyl was facilitated by a unique domain-swapped dimerization mechanism, which accompanied a rearrangement of complementarity-determining region (CDR) loops leading to the formation of a fentanyl-binding pocket. Structure-guided mutagenesis further identified an amino acid substitution that improved the affinity and relaxed the requirement for dimerization of the VHH in fentanyl binding. Our studies demonstrate VHH engagement of an opioid and inform on how to further engineer a VHH for enhanced stability and efficacy, laying the groundwork for exploring the in vivo applications of VHH-based biologics against OUD and overdose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph P Gallant
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Dustin Hicks
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Ke Shi
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Nicholas H Moeller
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Brooke Hoppe
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Eric W Lake
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Carly Baehr
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Marco Pravetoni
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA USA; Center for Medication Development for Substance Use Disorders, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
| | - Hideki Aihara
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Aaron M LeBeau
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA; Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA; Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
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2
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Urban K, Gkeka A, Chandra M, Greiner D, Pollich S, Ruf S, Kelemen Y, Sundermann T, Pravetoni M, Baehr C, Stebbins CE, Papavasiliou FN, Verdi JP. The fentanyl-specific antibody FenAb024 can shield against carfentanil effects. Toxicol Lett 2024; 396:1-10. [PMID: 38588756 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2024.03.008] [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: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
The surge in opioid-related deaths, driven predominantly by fentanyl and its synthetic derivatives, has become a critical public health concern, which is particularly evident in the United States. While the situation is less severe in Europe, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction reports a rise in drug overdose deaths, with emerging concerns about the impact of fentanyl-related molecules. Synthetic opioids, initially designed for medical use, have infiltrated illicit markets due to their low production costs and high potency, with carfentanil posing additional threats, including potential chemical weaponization. Existing overdose mitigation heavily relies on naloxone, requiring timely intervention and caregiver presence, while therapeutic prevention strategies face many access challenges. To provide an additional treatment option, we propose the use of a fentanyl-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb), as a non-opioid method of prophylaxis against fentanyl and carfentanil. This mAb shows protection from opioid effects in a pre-clinical murine model. mAbs could emerge as a versatile countermeasure in civilian and biodefense settings, offering a novel approach to combat opioid-associated mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Sandra Ruf
- Panosome GmbH, Heidelberg 69123, Germany; Division of Immune Diversity, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | | | - Tom Sundermann
- Department of Forensic Toxicology, Institute for Forensic Medicine and Traffic Medicine, Heidelberg University Clinic, Heidelberg 69115, Germany
| | - Marco Pravetoni
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Center for Medication Development for Substance Use Disorders, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Carly Baehr
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - C Erec Stebbins
- Division of Structural Biology of Infection and Immunity, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - F Nina Papavasiliou
- Division of Immune Diversity, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Joseph P Verdi
- Panosome GmbH, Heidelberg 69123, Germany; Division of Immune Diversity, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Hepione Therapeutics, Inc., New York, NY 10014, USA.
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3
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Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUD) present a worldwide challenge with few effective therapies except for the relative efficacy of opioid pharmacotherapies, despite limited treatment access. However, the proliferation of illicit fentanyl use initiated a dramatic and cascading epidemic of lethal overdoses. This rise in fentanyl overdoses regenerated an interest in vaccine immunotherapy, which, despite an optimistic start in animal models over the past 50 years, yielded disappointing results in human clinical trials of vaccines against nicotine, stimulants (cocaine and methamphetamine), and opioids. After a brief review of clinical and selected preclinical vaccine studies, the "lessons learned" from the previous vaccine clinical trials are summarized, and then the newest challenge of a vaccine against fentanyl and its analogs is explored. Animal studies have made significant advances in vaccine technology for SUD treatment over the past 50 years, and the resulting anti-fentanyl vaccines show remarkable promise for ending this epidemic of fentanyl deaths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R Kosten
- Waggoner Professor of Psychiatry, Pharmacology, Neuroscience, Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
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4
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Song D, Crouse B, Vigliaturo J, Wu MM, Heimisdottir D, Kassick AJ, Averick SE, Raleigh MD, Pravetoni M. Multivalent Vaccination Strategies Protect against Exposure to Polydrug Opioid and Stimulant Mixtures in Mice and Rats. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2024; 7:363-374. [PMID: 38357285 PMCID: PMC10863445 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.3c00228] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Illicit drug mixtures containing opioids and stimulants have been responsible for the majority of fatal drug overdoses among occasional users, and those with either opioid use disorder (OUD) or substance use disorder (SUD). As a complementary strategy to current pharmacotherapies, active immunization with conjugate vaccines has been proposed as a viable intervention to treat OUD as well as other SUD for which there are either limited or no treatment options. Vaccination against opioids and stimulants could help address the limitations of current medications (e.g., patient access, compliance, misuse liability, and safety) by providing an additional tool to prevent drug misuse and/or overdoses. However, more research is needed to fully understand the potential benefits and limitations of using vaccines to treat SUD and overdose and to inform us on how to deploy this strategy in the field. Previous reports have shown promise by combining two vaccines into bivalent vaccine formulations to concurrently target multiple drugs. Here, multiple individual candidate monovalent vaccines were incrementally combined in multivalent vaccine formulations to simultaneously target fentanyl, carfentanil, oxycodone, heroin, methamphetamine, and their analogs or metabolites. Bi-, tri-, and quadrivalent vaccine formulations induced the formation of independent serum antibody responses against their respective opioid targets and selectively attenuated the distribution of each individual drug to the brain in mice and rats. Results indicate that a single injection of an admixed multivalent vaccine formulation may be more effective than coinjecting multiple monovalent vaccines at multiple sites. Finally, adding a methamphetamine conjugate vaccine to an quadrivalent opioid vaccine in a pentavalent formulation did not interfere with the production of effective antiopioid IgG antibodies. Multivalent vaccines could provide multifaceted, yet selective, protection against polydrug use and exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daihyun Song
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Bethany Crouse
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
- School
of Veterinary Population Medicine, University
of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Jennifer Vigliaturo
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Mariah M. Wu
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
- School
of Veterinary Population Medicine, University
of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Dagny Heimisdottir
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Andrew J. Kassick
- Neuroscience
Disruptive Research Lab, Allegheny Health
Network Research Institute, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212, United States
| | - Saadyah E. Averick
- Neuroscience
Disruptive Research Lab, Allegheny Health
Network Research Institute, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212, United States
- Neuroscience
Institute, Allegheny Health Network, Allegheny
General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212, United States
| | - Michael D. Raleigh
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Marco Pravetoni
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
- Department
of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University
of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
- University
of Washington Center for Medication Development for Substance Use
Disorders; Garvey Institute for Brain Solutions, Seattle,Washington 98195, United States
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5
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Crouse B, Miller SM, Muelken P, Hicks L, Vigliaturo JR, Marker CL, Guedes AGP, Pentel PR, Evans JT, LeSage MG, Pravetoni M. A TLR7/8 agonist increases efficacy of anti-fentanyl vaccines in rodent and porcine models. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:107. [PMID: 37488109 PMCID: PMC10366150 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00697-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Opioid use disorders (OUD) and overdose are public health threats worldwide. Widespread access to highly potent illicit synthetic opioids such as fentanyl is driving the recent rise in fatal overdoses. Vaccines containing fentanyl-based haptens conjugated to immunogenic carrier proteins offer a long-lasting, safe, and cost-effective strategy to protect individuals from overdose upon accidental or deliberate exposure to fentanyl and its analogs. Prophylactic or therapeutic active immunization with an anti-fentanyl vaccine induces the production of fentanyl-specific antibodies that bind the drug in the blood and prevent its distribution to the brain, which reduces its reinforcing effects and attenuates respiratory depression and bradycardia. To increase the efficacy of a lead anti-fentanyl vaccine, this study tested whether the incorporation of synthetic toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 and TLR7/8 agonists as vaccine adjuvants would increase vaccine efficacy against fentanyl challenge, overdose, and self-administration in either rats or Hanford miniature pigs. Formulation of the vaccine with a nucleolipid TLR7/8 agonist enhanced its immunogenicity and efficacy in preventing fentanyl-induced respiratory depression, analgesia, bradycardia, and self-administration in either rats or mini-pigs. These studies support the use of TLR7/8 adjuvants in vaccine formulations to improve their clinical efficacy against OUD and potentially other substance use disorders (SUD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany Crouse
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
- HealthPartners Institute, Research and Evaluation Division, 8170 33rd Ave S, Bloomington, MN, 55425, USA
| | - Shannon M Miller
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Translational Medicine, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
- Inimmune Corporation, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Peter Muelken
- Department of Medicine, Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Linda Hicks
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Translational Medicine, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Jennifer R Vigliaturo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Cheryl L Marker
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Luvo Bioscience, 7500W. Henrietta Road, Rush, NY, 14543, USA
| | - Alonso G P Guedes
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Paul R Pentel
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Medicine, Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jay T Evans
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Translational Medicine, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
- Inimmune Corporation, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Mark G LeSage
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Medicine, Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Marco Pravetoni
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Center for Medication Development for Substance Use Disorders, Seattle, WA, USA.
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6
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Miller SM, Crouse B, Hicks L, Amin H, Cole S, Bazin HG, Burkhart DJ, Pravetoni M, Evans JT. A lipidated TLR7/8 adjuvant enhances the efficacy of a vaccine against fentanyl in mice. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:97. [PMID: 37429853 PMCID: PMC10333387 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00694-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Opioid use disorders (OUD) and opioid-related fatal overdoses are a public health concern in the United States. Approximately 100,000 fatal opioid-related overdoses occurred annually from mid-2020 to the present, the majority of which involved fentanyl or fentanyl analogs. Vaccines have been proposed as a therapeutic and prophylactic strategy to offer selective and long-lasting protection against accidental or deliberate exposure to fentanyl and closely related analogs. To support the development of a clinically viable anti-opioid vaccine suitable for human use, the incorporation of adjuvants will be required to elicit high titers of high-affinity circulating antibodies specific to the target opioid. Here we demonstrate that the addition of a synthetic TLR7/8 agonist, INI-4001, but not a synthetic TLR4 agonist, INI-2002, to a candidate conjugate vaccine consisting of a fentanyl-based hapten, F1, conjugated to the diphtheria cross-reactive material (CRM), significantly increased generation of high-affinity F1-specific antibody concentrations, and reduced drug distribution to the brain after fentanyl administration in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon M Miller
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Translational Medicine, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
- Inimmune Corporation, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Bethany Crouse
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Linda Hicks
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Translational Medicine, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Hardik Amin
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Translational Medicine, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Shelby Cole
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Helene G Bazin
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Translational Medicine, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
- Inimmune Corporation, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - David J Burkhart
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Translational Medicine, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
- Inimmune Corporation, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Marco Pravetoni
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jay T Evans
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Translational Medicine, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA.
- Inimmune Corporation, Missoula, MT, USA.
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7
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Lin M, Eubanks LM, Karadkhelkar NM, Blake S, Janda KD. Catalytic Antibody Blunts Carfentanil-Induced Respiratory Depression. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2023; 6:802-811. [PMID: 37200811 PMCID: PMC10186356 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.3c00031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Carfentanil, the most potent of the fentanyl analogues, is at the forefront of synthetic opioid-related deaths, second to fentanyl. Moreover, the administration of the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone has proven inadequate for an increasing number of opioid-related conditions, often requiring higher/additional doses to be effective, as such interest in alternative strategies to combat more potent synthetic opioids has intensified. Increasing drug metabolism would be one strategy to detoxify carfentanil; however, carfentanil's major metabolic pathways involve N-dealkylation or monohydroxylation, which do not lend themselves readily to exogenous enzyme addition. Herein, we report, to our knowledge, the first demonstration that carfentanil's methyl ester when hydrolyzed to its acid was found to be 40,000 times less potent than carfentanil in activating the μ-opioid receptor. Physiological consequences of carfentanil and its acid were also examined through plethysmography, and carfentanil's acid was found to be incapable of inducing respiratory depression. Based upon this information, a hapten was chemically synthesized and immunized, allowing the generation of antibodies that were screened for carfentanil ester hydrolysis. From the screening campaign, three antibodies were found to accelerate the hydrolysis of carfentanil's methyl ester. From this series of catalytic antibodies, the most active underwent extensive kinetic analysis, allowing us to postulate its mechanism of hydrolysis against this synthetic opioid. In the context of potential clinical applications, the antibody, when passively administered, was able to reduce respiratory depression induced by carfentanil. The data presented supports further development of antibody catalysis as a biologic strategy to complement carfentanil overdose reversal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingliang Lin
- Departments of Chemistry
and Immunology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Worm Institute
of Research and Medicine (WIRM), The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Lisa M. Eubanks
- Departments of Chemistry
and Immunology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Worm Institute
of Research and Medicine (WIRM), The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Nishant M. Karadkhelkar
- Departments of Chemistry
and Immunology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Worm Institute
of Research and Medicine (WIRM), The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Steven Blake
- Departments of Chemistry
and Immunology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Worm Institute
of Research and Medicine (WIRM), The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Kim D. Janda
- Departments of Chemistry
and Immunology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Worm Institute
of Research and Medicine (WIRM), The Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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8
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Triller G, Vlachou EP, Hashemi H, van Straaten M, Zeelen JP, Kelemen Y, Baehr C, Marker CL, Ruf S, Svirina A, Chandra M, Urban K, Gkeka A, Kruse S, Baumann A, Miller AK, Bartel M, Pravetoni M, Stebbins CE, Papavasiliou FN, Verdi JP. A trypanosome-derived immunotherapeutics platform elicits potent high-affinity antibodies, negating the effects of the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112049. [PMID: 36719797 PMCID: PMC10387133 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Poorly immunogenic small molecules pose challenges for the production of clinically efficacious vaccines and antibodies. To address this, we generate an immunization platform derived from the immunogenic surface coat of the African trypanosome. Through sortase-based conjugation of the target molecules to the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) of the trypanosome surface coat, we develop VSG-immunogen array by sortase tagging (VAST). VAST elicits antigen-specific memory B cells and antibodies in a murine model after deploying the poorly immunogenic molecule fentanyl as a proof of concept. We also develop a single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq)-based computational method that synergizes with VAST to specifically identify memory B cell-encoded antibodies. All computationally selected antibodies bind to fentanyl with picomolar affinity. Moreover, these antibodies protect mice from fentanyl effects after passive immunization, demonstrating the ability of these two coupled technologies to elicit therapeutic antibodies to challenging immunogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianna Triller
- Division of Immune Diversity, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Evi P Vlachou
- Division of Immune Diversity, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Panosome GmbH, 69123 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hamidreza Hashemi
- Division of Immune Diversity, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Monique van Straaten
- Division of Structural Biology of Infection and Immunity, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Johan P Zeelen
- Division of Structural Biology of Infection and Immunity, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Carly Baehr
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Cheryl L Marker
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Iuvo Bioscience, Rush, NY 14543, USA
| | - Sandra Ruf
- Division of Immune Diversity, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna Svirina
- Division of Immune Diversity, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Monica Chandra
- Panosome GmbH, 69123 Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Structural Biology of Infection and Immunity, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katharina Urban
- Division of Immune Diversity, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anastasia Gkeka
- Division of Immune Diversity, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Panosome GmbH, 69123 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Andreas Baumann
- Cancer Drug Development Group, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Aubry K Miller
- Cancer Drug Development Group, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marc Bartel
- Forensic Toxicology, Institute of Forensic and Traffic Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marco Pravetoni
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Center for Medication Development for Substance Use Disorders, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - C Erec Stebbins
- Division of Structural Biology of Infection and Immunity, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - F Nina Papavasiliou
- Division of Immune Diversity, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Joseph P Verdi
- Division of Immune Diversity, German Cancer Research Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Hepione Therapeutics, Inc., New York, NY 10014, USA.
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9
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Hicks D, Baehr C, Silva-Ortiz P, Khaimraj A, Luengas D, Hamid FA, Pravetoni M. Advancing humanized monoclonal antibody for counteracting fentanyl toxicity towards clinical development. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2022; 18:2122507. [PMID: 36194773 PMCID: PMC9746415 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2122507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Innovative therapies to complement current treatments are needed to curb the growing incidence of fatal overdoses related to synthetic opioids. Murine and chimeric monoclonal antibodies (mAb) specific for fentanyl and its analogs have demonstrated pre-clinical efficacy in preventing and reversing drug-induced toxicity in rodent models. However, mAb-based therapeutics require extensive engineering as well as in vitro and in vivo characterization to advance to first-in-human clinical trials. Here, novel murine anti-fentanyl mAbs were selected for development based on affinity for fentanyl, and efficacy in counteracting the pharmacological effects of fentanyl in mice. Humanization and evaluation of mutations designed to eliminate predicted post-translational modifications resulted in two humanized mAbs that were effective at preventing fentanyl-induced pharmacological effects in rats. These humanized mAbs showed favorable biophysical properties with respect to aggregation and hydrophobicity by chromatography-based assays, and thermostability by dynamic scanning fluorimetry. These results collectively support that the humanized anti-fentanyl mAbs developed herein warrant further clinical development for treatment of fentanyl toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin Hicks
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Carly Baehr
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Pedro Silva-Ortiz
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Aaron Khaimraj
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Diego Luengas
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Fatima A. Hamid
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Marco Pravetoni
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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10
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Baehr C, Robinson C, Kassick A, Jahan R, Gradinati V, Averick SE, Runyon SP, Pravetoni M. Preclinical Efficacy and Selectivity of Vaccines Targeting Fentanyl, Alfentanil, Sufentanil, and Acetylfentanyl in Rats. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:16584-16592. [PMID: 35601290 PMCID: PMC9118421 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c00820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing public health emergency of opioid use disorders (OUD) and overdose in the United States is largely driven by fentanyl and its related analogues and has resulted in over 75 673 deaths in 2021. Immunotherapeutics such as vaccines have been investigated as a potential interventional strategy complementary to current pharmacotherapies to reduce the incidence of OUD and opioid-related overdose. Given the importance of targeting structurally distinct fentanyl analogues, this study compared a previously established lead conjugate vaccine (F1-CRM) to a series of novel vaccines incorporating haptens derived from alfentanil and acetylfentanyl (F8, 9a, 9b, 10), and evaluated their efficacy against drug-induced pharmacological effects in rats. While no vaccine tested provided significant protection against alfentanil, lead formulations were effective in reducing antinociception, respiratory depression, and bradycardia elicited by fentanyl, sufentanil, and acetylfentanyl. Compared with control, vaccination with F1-CRM also reduced drug levels in the brain of rats challenged with lethal doses of fentanyl. These data further support investigation of F1-CRM as a candidate vaccine against fentanyl and selected analogues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly Baehr
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Christine Robinson
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Andrew Kassick
- Neuroscience
Disruptive Research Lab, Allegheny Health
Network Research Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212, United States
| | - Rajwana Jahan
- RTI
International, Research
Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Valeria Gradinati
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Saadyah E. Averick
- Neuroscience
Disruptive Research Lab, Allegheny Health
Network Research Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212, United States
| | - Scott P. Runyon
- RTI
International, Research
Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Marco Pravetoni
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
- Center
for Immunology, University of Minnesota
Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
- Department
of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University
of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98104, United States
| |
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