1
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Hesen N, Anany M, Freidel A, Baker M, Siegmund D, Zaitseva O, Wajant H, Lang I. Genetically engineered IgG1 and nanobody oligomers acquire strong intrinsic CD40 agonism. Bioengineered 2024; 15:2302246. [PMID: 38214443 PMCID: PMC10793706 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2024.2302246] [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: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Most anti-CD40 antibodies show robust agonism only upon binding to FcγR+ cells, such as B cells, macrophages, or DCs, but a few anti-CD40 antibodies display also strong intrinsic agonism dependent on the recognized epitope and/or isotype. It is worth mentioning, however, that also the anti-CD40 antibodies with intrinsic agonism can show a further increase in agonistic activity when bound by FcγR-expressing cells. Thus, conventional antibodies appear not to be sufficient to trigger the maximum possible CD40 activation independent from FcγR-binding. We proved here the hypothesis that oligomeric and oligovalent anti-CD40 antibody variants generated by genetic engineering display high intrinsic, thus FcγR-independent, agonistic activity. We generated tetra-, hexa- and dodecavalent variants of six anti-CD40 antibodies and a CD40-specific nanobody. All these oligovalent variants, even when derived of bivalent antagonistic anti-CD40 antibodies, showed strongly enhanced CD40 agonism compared to their conventional counterparts. In most cases, the CD40 agonism reached the maximum response induced by FcγR-bound anti-CD40 antibodies or membrane CD40L, the natural engager of CD40. In sum, our data show that increasing the valency of anti-CD40 antibody constructs by genetic engineering regularly results in molecules with high intrinsic agonism and level out the specific limitations of the parental antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nienke Hesen
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, WürzburgGermany
| | - Mohamed Anany
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, WürzburgGermany
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt
| | - Andre Freidel
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, WürzburgGermany
| | - Mediya Baker
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, WürzburgGermany
| | - Daniela Siegmund
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, WürzburgGermany
| | - Olena Zaitseva
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, WürzburgGermany
| | - Harald Wajant
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, WürzburgGermany
| | - Isabell Lang
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, WürzburgGermany
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2
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Shatz-Binder W, Azumaya CM, Leonard B, Vuong I, Sudhamsu J, Rohou A, Liu P, Sandoval W, Bol K, Izadi S, Holder PG, Blanchette C, Perozzo R, Kelley RF, Kalia Y. Adapting Ferritin, a Naturally Occurring Protein Cage, to Modulate Intrinsic Agonism of OX40. Bioconjug Chem 2024; 35:593-603. [PMID: 38592684 PMCID: PMC11099885 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.4c00020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Ferritin is a multivalent, self-assembling protein scaffold found in most human cell types, in addition to being present in invertebrates, higher plants, fungi, and bacteria, that offers an attractive alternative to polymer-based drug delivery systems (DDS). In this study, the utility of the ferritin cage as a DDS was demonstrated within the context of T cell agonism for tumor killing. Members of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF) are attractive targets for the development of anticancer therapeutics. These receptors are endogenously activated by trimeric ligands that occur in transmembrane or soluble forms, and oligomerization and cell-surface anchoring have been shown to be essential aspects of the targeted agonism of this receptor class. Here, we demonstrated that the ferritin cage could be easily tailored for multivalent display of anti-OX40 antibody fragments on its surface and determined that these arrays are capable of pathway activation through cell-surface clustering. Together, these results confirm the utility, versatility, and developability of ferritin as a DDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Whitney Shatz-Binder
- Protein
Chemistry, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
- Pharmaceutical
Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
| | - Caleigh M. Azumaya
- Structural
Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Brandon Leonard
- Antibody
Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Ivan Vuong
- Protein
Chemistry, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, 5640 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jawahar Sudhamsu
- Structural
Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Alexis Rohou
- Structural
Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Peter Liu
- Microchemistry,
Proteomics and Lipidomics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Wendy Sandoval
- Microchemistry,
Proteomics and Lipidomics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Karenna Bol
- Pharmaceutical
Chemistry, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
- Business
and Program Management, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Saeed Izadi
- Pharmaceutical
Chemistry, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Patrick G. Holder
- Protein
Chemistry, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Craig Blanchette
- Protein
Chemistry, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Remo Perozzo
- Pharmaceutical
Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
| | - Robert F. Kelley
- Pharmaceutical
Chemistry, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Yogeshvar Kalia
- Pharmaceutical
Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
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3
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Beckmann K, Reitinger C, Yan X, Carle A, Blümle E, Jurkschat N, Paulmann C, Prassl S, Kazandjian LV, Loré K, Nimmerjahn F, Fischer S. Fcγ-Receptor-Independent Controlled Activation of CD40 Canonical Signaling by Novel Therapeutic Antibodies for Cancer Therapy. Antibodies (Basel) 2024; 13:31. [PMID: 38651411 PMCID: PMC11036229 DOI: 10.3390/antib13020031] [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: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The activation of CD40-mediated signaling in antigen-presenting cells is a promising therapeutic strategy to promote immune responses against tumors. Most agonistic anti-CD40 antibodies currently in development require the Fcγ-receptor (FcγR)-mediated crosslinking of CD40 molecules for a meaningful activation of CD40 signaling but have limitations due to dose-limiting toxicities. Here we describe the identification of CD40 antibodies which strongly stimulate antigen-presenting cells in an entirely FcγR-independent manner. These Fc-silenced anti-CD40 antibodies induce an efficient upregulation of costimulatory receptors and cytokine release by dendritic cells. Finally, the most active identified anti-CD40 antibody shows activity in humanized mice. More importantly, there are no signs of obvious toxicities. These studies thus demonstrate the potent activation of antigen-presenting cells with anti-CD40 antibodies lacking FcγR-binding activity and open the possibility for an efficacious and safe combination therapy for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carmen Reitinger
- Division of Genetics, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Xianglei Yan
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Visionsgatan 4, BioClinicum J7:30, 171 64, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center of Molecular Medicine, 171 76, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Carle
- Biontech SE, Forstenrieder Str. 8-14, 82061 Neuried, Germany
| | - Eva Blümle
- Biontech SE, Forstenrieder Str. 8-14, 82061 Neuried, Germany
| | | | | | - Sandra Prassl
- Biontech SE, Forstenrieder Str. 8-14, 82061 Neuried, Germany
| | | | - Karin Loré
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Visionsgatan 4, BioClinicum J7:30, 171 64, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center of Molecular Medicine, 171 76, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Falk Nimmerjahn
- Division of Genetics, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
- FAU Profile Centre Immunomedicine, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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4
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Zhang H, Wang Q, Yalavarthi S, Pekar L, Shamnoski S, Hu L, Helming L, Zielonka S, Xu C. Development of a c-MET x CD137 bispecific antibody for targeted immune agonism in cancer immunotherapy. Cancer Treat Res Commun 2024; 39:100805. [PMID: 38492435 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctarc.2024.100805] [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: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Targeting the costimulatory receptor CD137 has shown promise as a therapeutic approach for cancer immunotherapy, resulting in anti-tumor efficacy demonstrated in clinical trials. However, the initial CD137 agonistic antibodies, urelumab and utomilumab, faced challenges in clinical trials due to the liver toxicity or lack of efficacy, respectively. Concurrently, c-MET has been identified as a highly expressed tumor-associated antigen (TAA) in various solid and soft tumors. METHODS In this study, we aimed to develop a bispecific antibody (BsAb) that targets both c-MET and CD137, optimizing the BsAb format and CD137 binder for efficient delivery of the CD137 agonist to the tumor microenvironment (TME). We employed a monovalent c-MET motif and a trimeric CD137 Variable Heavy domain of Heavy chain (VHH) for the BsAb design. RESULTS Our results demonstrate that the c-MET x CD137 BsAb provides co-stimulation to T cells through cross-linking by c-MET-expressing tumor cells. Functional immune assays confirmed the enhanced efficacy and potency of the c-MET x CD137 BsAb, as indicated by activation of CD137 signaling, target cell killing, and cytokine release in various tumor cell lines. Furthermore, the combination of c-MET x CD137 BsAb with Pembrolizumab showed a dose-dependent enhancement of target-induced T cell cytokine release. CONCLUSION Overall, the c-MET x CD137 BsAb exhibits a promising developability profile as a tumor-targeted immune agonist by minimizing off-target effects while effectively delivering immune agonism. It has the potential to overcome resistance to anti-PD-(L)1 therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Zhang
- Research Unit Oncology, EMD Serono Research Center, 45 Middlesex Turnpike, Billerica, MA 01821, USA
| | - Qun Wang
- Research Unit Oncology, EMD Serono Research Center, 45 Middlesex Turnpike, Billerica, MA 01821, USA
| | - Sireesha Yalavarthi
- Research Unit Oncology, EMD Serono Research Center, 45 Middlesex Turnpike, Billerica, MA 01821, USA
| | - Lukas Pekar
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Str. 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Steven Shamnoski
- Research Unit Oncology, EMD Serono Research Center, 45 Middlesex Turnpike, Billerica, MA 01821, USA
| | - Liufang Hu
- Research Unit Oncology, EMD Serono Research Center, 45 Middlesex Turnpike, Billerica, MA 01821, USA
| | - Laura Helming
- Research Unit Oncology, EMD Serono Research Center, 45 Middlesex Turnpike, Billerica, MA 01821, USA
| | - Stefan Zielonka
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Str. 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Chunxiao Xu
- Research Unit Oncology, EMD Serono Research Center, 45 Middlesex Turnpike, Billerica, MA 01821, USA.
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5
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Rakké YS, Buschow SI, IJzermans JNM, Sprengers D. Engaging stimulatory immune checkpoint interactions in the tumour immune microenvironment of primary liver cancers - how to push the gas after having released the brake. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1357333. [PMID: 38440738 PMCID: PMC10910082 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1357333] [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: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) are the first and second most common primary liver cancer (PLC). For decades, systemic therapies consisting of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) or chemotherapy have formed the cornerstone of treating advanced-stage HCC and CCA, respectively. More recently, immunotherapy using immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) has shown anti-tumour reactivity in some patients. The combination regimen of anti-PD-L1 and anti-VEGF antibodies has been approved as new first-line treatment of advanced-stage HCC. Furthermore, gemcibatine plus cisplatin (GEMCIS) with an anti-PD-L1 antibody is awaiting global approval for the treatment of advanced-stage CCA. As effective anti-tumour reactivity using ICI is achieved in a minor subset of both HCC and CCA patients only, alternative immune strategies to sensitise the tumour microenvironment of PLC are waited for. Here we discuss immune checkpoint stimulation (ICS) as additional tool to enhance anti-tumour reactivity. Up-to-date information on the clinical application of ICS in onco-immunology is provided. This review provides a rationale of the application of next-generation ICS either alone or in combination regimen to potentially enhance anti-tumour reactivity in PLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannick S. Rakké
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC-Transplant Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sonja I. Buschow
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC-Cancer Institute-University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jan N. M. IJzermans
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC-Transplant Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Dave Sprengers
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC-Cancer Institute-University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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6
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Xu C, Zhou X, Webb L, Yalavarthi S, Zheng W, Saha S, Schweickhardt R, Soloviev M, Jenkins MH, Brandstetter S, Belousova N, Alimzhanov M, Rabinovich B, Deshpande AM, Brewis N, Helming L. M9657 Is a Bispecific Tumor-Targeted Anti-CD137 Agonist That Induces MSLN-Dependent Antitumor Immunity without Liver Inflammation. Cancer Immunol Res 2024; 12:195-213. [PMID: 38091375 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-23-0243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
The costimulatory receptor CD137 (also known as TNFRSF9 or 4-1BB) sustains effective cytotoxic T-cell responses. Agonistic anti-CD137 cancer immunotherapies are being investigated in clinical trials. Development of the first-generation CD137-agonist monotherapies utomilumab and urelumab was unsuccessful due to low antitumor efficacy mediated by the epitope recognized on CD137 or hepatotoxicity mediated by Fcγ receptors (FcγR) ligand-dependent CD137 activation, respectively. M9657 was engineered as a tetravalent bispecific antibody (mAb2) in a human IgG1 backbone with LALA mutations to reduce binding to FCγRs. Here, we report that M9657 selectively binds to mesothelin (MSLN) and CD137 with similar affinity in humans and cynomolgus monkeys. In a cellular functional assay, M9657 enhanced CD8+ T cell-mediated cytotoxicity and cytokine release in the presence of tumor cells, which was dependent on both MSLN expression and T-cell receptor/CD3 activation. Both FS122m, a murine surrogate with the same protein structure as M9657, and chimeric M9657, a modified M9657 antibody with the Fab portion replaced with an anti-murine MSLN motif, demonstrated in vivo antitumor efficacy against various tumors in wild-type and human CD137 knock-in mice, and this was accompanied by activated CD8+ T-cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment. The antitumor immunity of M9657 and FS122m depended on MSLN expression density and the mAb2 structure. Compared with 3H3, a murine surrogate of urelumab, FS122m and chimeric M9657 displayed significantly lower on-target/off-tumor toxicity. Taken together, M9657 exhibits a promising profile for development as a tumor-targeting immune agonist with potent anticancer activity without systemic immune activation and associated hepatotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunxiao Xu
- Research Unit Oncology, EMD Serono, Billerica, Massachusetts
| | - Xueyuan Zhou
- Research Unit Oncology, EMD Serono, Billerica, Massachusetts
| | - Lindsay Webb
- Research Unit Oncology, EMD Serono, Billerica, Massachusetts
| | | | - Wenxin Zheng
- Research Unit Oncology, EMD Serono, Billerica, Massachusetts
| | - Somdutta Saha
- Research Unit Oncology, EMD Serono, Billerica, Massachusetts
| | - Rene Schweickhardt
- Discovery and Development Technologies, EMD Serono, Billerica, Massachusetts
| | - Maria Soloviev
- Discovery and Development Technologies, EMD Serono, Billerica, Massachusetts
| | - Molly H Jenkins
- Research Unit Oncology, EMD Serono, Billerica, Massachusetts
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Neil Brewis
- F-star Therapeutics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Helming
- Research Unit Oncology, EMD Serono, Billerica, Massachusetts
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7
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Romei MG, Leonard B, Katz ZB, Le D, Yang Y, Day ES, Koo CW, Sharma P, Bevers Iii J, Kim I, Dai H, Farahi F, Lin M, Shaw AS, Nakamura G, Sockolosky JT, Lazar GA. i-shaped antibody engineering enables conformational tuning of biotherapeutic receptor agonists. Nat Commun 2024; 15:642. [PMID: 38245524 PMCID: PMC10799922 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44985-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability to leverage antibodies to agonize disease relevant biological pathways has tremendous potential for clinical investigation. Yet while antibodies have been successful as antagonists, immune mediators, and targeting agents, they are not readily effective at recapitulating the biology of natural ligands. Among the important determinants of antibody agonist activity is the geometry of target receptor engagement. Here, we describe an engineering approach inspired by a naturally occurring Fab-Fab homotypic interaction that constrains IgG in a unique i-shaped conformation. i-shaped antibody (iAb) engineering enables potent intrinsic agonism of five tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF) targets. When applied to bispecific antibodies against the heterodimeric IL-2 receptor pair, constrained bispecific IgG formats recapitulate IL-2 agonist activity. iAb engineering provides a tool to tune agonist antibody function and this work provides a framework for the development of intrinsic antibody agonists with the potential for generalization across broad receptor classes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Romei
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Brandon Leonard
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Zachary B Katz
- Department of Research Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Le
- Department of Microchemistry, Proteomic, Lipidomics, and Next Generation Sequencing, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yanli Yang
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Eric S Day
- Department of Pharma Technical Development, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Christopher W Koo
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Preeti Sharma
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jack Bevers Iii
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ingrid Kim
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Huiguang Dai
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Farzam Farahi
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - May Lin
- Department of Protein Chemistry, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Andrey S Shaw
- Department of Research Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Gerald Nakamura
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Greg A Lazar
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA.
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8
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Anany MA, Haack S, Lang I, Dahlhoff J, Vargas JG, Steinfatt T, Päckert L, Weisenberger D, Zaitseva O, Medler J, Kucka K, Zhang T, Van Belle T, van Rompaey L, Beilhack A, Wajant H. Generic design principles for antibody-based tumour necrosis factor (TNF) receptor 2 (TNFR2) agonists with FcγR-independent agonism. Theranostics 2024; 14:496-509. [PMID: 38169605 PMCID: PMC10758050 DOI: 10.7150/thno.84404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Selective TNFR2 activation can be used to treat immune pathologies by activating and expanding regulatory T-cells (Tregs) but may also restore anti-tumour immunity by co-stimulating CD8+ T-cells. Oligomerized TNFR2-specific TNF mutants or anti-TNFR2 antibodies can activate TNFR2 but suffer either from poor production and pharmacokinetics or in the case of anti-TNFR2 antibodies typically from the need of FcγR binding to elicit maximal agonistic activity. Methods: To identify the major factor(s) determining FcγR-independent agonism of anti-TNFR2 antibodies, we systematically investigated a comprehensive panel of anti-TNFR2 antibodies and antibody-based constructs differing in the characteristics of their TNFR2 binding domains but also in the number and positioning of the latter. Results: We identified the domain architecture of the constructs as the pivotal factor enabling FcγR-independent, thus intrinsic TNFR2-agonism. Anti-TNFR2 antibody formats with either TNFR2 binding sites on opposing sites of the antibody scaffold or six or more TNFR2 binding sites in similar orientation regularly showed strong FcγR-independent agonism. The affinity of the TNFR2 binding domain and the epitope recognized in TNFR2, however, were found to be of only secondary importance for agonistic activity. Conclusion: Generic design principles enable the generation of highly active bona fide TNFR2 agonists from nearly any TNFR2-specific antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A. Anany
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, National Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
| | - Stefanie Haack
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF) laboratory Würzburg, Center for Experimental Molecular Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Isabell Lang
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Julia Dahlhoff
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF) laboratory Würzburg, Center for Experimental Molecular Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Juan Gamboa Vargas
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF) laboratory Würzburg, Center for Experimental Molecular Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Tim Steinfatt
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF) laboratory Würzburg, Center for Experimental Molecular Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lea Päckert
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Weisenberger
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Olena Zaitseva
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Juliane Medler
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Kirstin Kucka
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Tengyu Zhang
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Andreas Beilhack
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF) laboratory Würzburg, Center for Experimental Molecular Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Harald Wajant
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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9
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Aba G, Scheeren FA, Sharp TH. Design and Synthesis of DNA Origami Nanostructures to Control TNF Receptor Activation. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2800:35-53. [PMID: 38709476 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3834-7_4] [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] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Clustering of type II tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors (TNFRs) is essential for their activation, yet currently available drugs fail to activate signaling. Some strategies aim to cluster TNFR by using multivalent streptavidin or scaffolds based on dextran or graphene. However, these strategies do not allow for control of the valency or spatial organization of the ligands, and consequently control of the TNFR activation is not optimal. DNA origami nanostructures allow nanometer-precise control of the spatial organization of molecules and complexes, with defined spacing, number and valency. Here, we demonstrate the design and characterization of a DNA origami nanostructure that can be decorated with engineered single-chain TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (SC-TRAIL) complexes, which show increased cell killing compared to SC-TRAIL alone on Jurkat cells. The information in this chapter can be used as a basis to decorate DNA origami nanostructures with various proteins, complexes, or other biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Göktuğ Aba
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ferenc A Scheeren
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas H Sharp
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
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10
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Jiang B, Zhang T, Deng M, Jin W, Hong Y, Chen X, Chen X, Wang J, Hou H, Gao Y, Gong W, Wang X, Li H, Zhou X, Feng Y, Zhang B, Jiang B, Lu X, Zhang L, Li Y, Song W, Sun H, Wang Z, Song X, Shen Z, Liu X, Li K, Wang L, Liu Y. BGB-A445, a novel non-ligand-blocking agonistic anti-OX40 antibody, exhibits superior immune activation and antitumor effects in preclinical models. Front Med 2023; 17:1170-1185. [PMID: 37747585 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-023-0996-8] [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: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
OX40 is a costimulatory receptor that is expressed primarily on activated CD4+, CD8+, and regulatory T cells. The ligation of OX40 to its sole ligand OX40L potentiates T cell expansion, differentiation, and activation and also promotes dendritic cells to mature to enhance their cytokine production. Therefore, the use of agonistic anti-OX40 antibodies for cancer immunotherapy has gained great interest. However, most of the agonistic anti-OX40 antibodies in the clinic are OX40L-competitive and show limited efficacy. Here, we discovered that BGB-A445, a non-ligand-competitive agonistic anti-OX40 antibody currently under clinical investigation, induced optimal T cell activation without impairing dendritic cell function. In addition, BGB-A445 dose-dependently and significantly depleted regulatory T cells in vitro and in vivo via antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. In the MC38 syngeneic model established in humanized OX40 knock-in mice, BGB-A445 demonstrated robust and dose-dependent antitumor efficacy, whereas the ligand-competitive anti-OX40 antibody showed antitumor efficacy characterized by a hook effect. Furthermore, BGB-A445 demonstrated a strong combination antitumor effect with an anti-PD-1 antibody. Taken together, our findings show that BGB-A445, which does not block OX40-OX40L interaction in contrast to clinical-stage anti-OX40 antibodies, shows superior immune-stimulating effects and antitumor efficacy and thus warrants further clinical investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beibei Jiang
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Minjuan Deng
- Department of Discovery Biomarkers, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Wei Jin
- Department of Discovery Biomarkers, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Yuan Hong
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Xiaotong Chen
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Hongjia Hou
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Yajuan Gao
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Wenfeng Gong
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Xing Wang
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Haiying Li
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Xiaosui Zhou
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Yingcai Feng
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Bin Jiang
- Department of Discovery Biomarkers, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Xueping Lu
- Department of Discovery Biomarkers, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Lijie Zhang
- Department of Discovery Biomarkers, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Yang Li
- Department of Discovery Biomarkers, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Weiwei Song
- Department of Discovery Biomarkers, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Hanzi Sun
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Zuobai Wang
- Department of Clinic Development, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Xiaomin Song
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Zhirong Shen
- Department of Discovery Biomarkers, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Xuesong Liu
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Kang Li
- Department of Biologics, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Lai Wang
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Ye Liu
- Department of Biology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, 102206, China.
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11
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Aldokhayyil M, Gomez DH, Cook MD, Kavazis AN, Roberts MD, Geetha T, Brown MD. Influence of Race and High Laminar Shear Stress on TNFR1 Signaling in Endothelial Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14723. [PMID: 37834170 PMCID: PMC10572906 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914723] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) binding to endothelial TNF receptor-I (TNFR-I) facilitates monocyte recruitment and chronic inflammation, leading to the development of atherosclerosis. In vitro data show a heightened inflammatory response and atherogenic potential in endothelial cells (ECs) from African American (AA) donors. High laminar shear stress (HSS) can mitigate some aspects of racial differences in endothelial function at the cellular level. We examined possible racial differences in TNF-induced monocyte adhesion and TNFR1 signaling complex expression/activity, along with the effects of HSS. Tohoku Hospital Pediatrics-1 (THP-1) monocytes were used in a co-culture system with human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) from Caucasian American (CA) and AA donors to examine racial differences in monocyte adhesion. An in vitro exercise mimetic model was applied to investigate the potential modulatory effect of HSS. THP-1 adherence to ECs and TNF-induced nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) DNA binding were elevated in AA ECs compared to CA ECs, but not significantly. We report no significant racial differences in the expression of the TNFR-I signaling complex. Application of HSS significantly increased the expression and shedding of TNFR-I and the expression of TRAF3, and decreased the expression of TRAF5 in both groups. Our data does not support TNF-induced NF-κB activation as a potential mediator of racial disparity in this model. Other pathways and associated factors activated by the TNFR1 signaling complex are recommended targets for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maitha Aldokhayyil
- School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Dulce H. Gomez
- School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Marc D. Cook
- Department of Kinesiology, North Carolina Agriculture and Technology State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
| | | | | | - Thangiah Geetha
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, College of Human Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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12
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Akiba H, Fujita J, Ise T, Nishiyama K, Miyata T, Kato T, Namba K, Ohno H, Kamada H, Nagata S, Tsumoto K. Development of a 1:1-binding biparatopic anti-TNFR2 antagonist by reducing signaling activity through epitope selection. Commun Biol 2023; 6:987. [PMID: 37758868 PMCID: PMC10533564 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05326-8] [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] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Conventional bivalent antibodies against cell surface receptors often initiate unwanted signal transduction by crosslinking two antigen molecules. Biparatopic antibodies (BpAbs) bind to two different epitopes on the same antigen, thus altering crosslinking ability. In this study, we develop BpAbs against tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2), which is an attractive immune checkpoint target. Using different pairs of antibody variable regions specific to topographically distinct TNFR2 epitopes, we successfully regulate the size of BpAb-TNFR2 immunocomplexes to result in controlled agonistic activities. Our series of results indicate that the relative positions of the two epitopes recognized by the BpAb are critical for controlling its signaling activity. One particular antagonist, Bp109-92, binds TNFR2 in a 1:1 manner without unwanted signal transduction, and its structural basis is determined using cryo-electron microscopy. This antagonist suppresses the proliferation of regulatory T cells expressing TNFR2. Therefore, the BpAb format would be useful in designing specific and distinct antibody functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Akiba
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.
- Center for Drug Design Research, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Ibaraki, Osaka, 562-0011, Japan.
| | - Junso Fujita
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- JEOL YOKOGUSHI Research Alliance Laboratories, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tomoko Ise
- Center for Drug Design Research, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Ibaraki, Osaka, 562-0011, Japan
| | - Kentaro Nishiyama
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tomoko Miyata
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- JEOL YOKOGUSHI Research Alliance Laboratories, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takayuki Kato
- Institute of Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Keiichi Namba
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- JEOL YOKOGUSHI Research Alliance Laboratories, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Ohno
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
- Center for Drug Design Research, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Ibaraki, Osaka, 562-0011, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Kamada
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
- Center for Drug Design Research, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Ibaraki, Osaka, 562-0011, Japan
| | - Satoshi Nagata
- Center for Drug Design Research, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Ibaraki, Osaka, 562-0011, Japan.
| | - Kouhei Tsumoto
- Center for Drug Design Research, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Ibaraki, Osaka, 562-0011, Japan.
- School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
- Institute of Medical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan.
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13
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Fromm G, de Silva S, Schreiber TH. Reconciling intrinsic properties of activating TNF receptors by native ligands versus synthetic agonists. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1236332. [PMID: 37795079 PMCID: PMC10546206 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1236332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The extracellular domain of tumor necrosis factor receptors (TNFR) generally require assembly into a homotrimeric quaternary structure as a prerequisite for initiation of signaling via the cytoplasmic domains. TNF receptor homotrimers are natively activated by similarly homo-trimerized TNF ligands, but can also be activated by synthetic agonists including engineered antibodies and Fc-ligand fusion proteins. A large body of literature from pre-clinical models supports the hypothesis that synthetic agonists targeting a diverse range of TNF receptors (including 4-1BB, CD40, OX40, GITR, DR5, TNFRSF25, HVEM, LTβR, CD27, and CD30) could amplify immune responses to provide clinical benefit in patients with infectious diseases or cancer. Unfortunately, however, the pre-clinical attributes of synthetic TNF receptor agonists have not translated well in human clinical studies, and have instead raised fundamental questions regarding the intrinsic biology of TNF receptors. Clinical observations of bell-shaped dose response curves have led some to hypothesize that TNF receptor overstimulation is possible and can lead to anergy and/or activation induced cell death of target cells. Safety issues including liver toxicity and cytokine release syndrome have also been observed in humans, raising questions as to whether those toxicities are driven by overstimulation of the targeted TNF receptor, a non-TNF receptor related attribute of the synthetic agonist, or both. Together, these clinical findings have limited the development of many TNF receptor agonists, and may have prevented generation of clinical data which reflects the full potential of TNF receptor agonism. A number of recent studies have provided structural insights into how different TNF receptor agonists bind and cluster TNF receptors, and these insights aid in deconvoluting the intrinsic biology of TNF receptors with the mechanistic underpinnings of synthetic TNF receptor agonist therapeutics.
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14
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Leitner J, Egerer R, Waidhofer-Söllner P, Grabmeier-Pfistershammer K, Steinberger P. FcγR requirements and costimulatory capacity of Urelumab, Utomilumab, and Varlilumab. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1208631. [PMID: 37575254 PMCID: PMC10413977 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1208631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Targeting costimulatory receptors of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily with agonistic antibodies is a promising approach in cancer immuno therapy. It is known that their efficacy strongly depends on FcγR cross-linking. Methods In this study, we made use of a Jurkat-based reporter platform to analyze the influence of individual FcγRs on the costimulatory activity of the 41BB agonists, Urelumab and Utomilumab, and the CD27 agonist, Varlilumab. Results We found that Urelumab (IgG4) can activate 41BB-NFκB signaling without FcγR cross-linking, but the presence of the FcγRs (CD32A, CD32B, CD64) augments the agonistic activity of Urelumab. The human IgG2 antibody Utomilumab exerts agonistic function only when crosslinked via CD32A and CD32B. The human IgG1 antibody Varlilumab showed strong agonistic activity with all FcγRs tested. In addition, we analyzed the costimulatory effects of Urelumab, Utomilumab, and Varlilumab in primary human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Interestingly, we observed a very weak capacity of Varlilumab to enhance cytokine production and proliferation of CD4 and CD8 T cells. In the presence of Varlilumab the percentage of annexin V positive T cells was increased, indicating that this antibody mediated FcγR-dependent cytotoxic effects. Conclusion Collectively, our data underscore the importance to perform studies in reductionist systems as well as in primary PBMC samples to get a comprehensive understanding of the activity of costimulation agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Leitner
- Division of Immune Receptors and T Cell Activation, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ricarda Egerer
- Division of Immune Receptors and T Cell Activation, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Petra Waidhofer-Söllner
- Institute of Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Peter Steinberger
- Division of Immune Receptors and T Cell Activation, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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15
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Shuptrine CW, Perez VM, Selitsky SR, Schreiber TH, Fromm G. Shining a LIGHT on myeloid cell targeted immunotherapy. Eur J Cancer 2023; 187:147-160. [PMID: 37167762 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2023.03.040] [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: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Despite over a decade of clinical trials combining inhibition of emerging checkpoints with a PD-1/L1 inhibitor backbone, meaningful survival benefits have not been shown in PD-1/L1 inhibitor resistant or refractory solid tumours, particularly tumours dominated by a myelosuppressive microenvironment. Achieving durable anti-tumour immunity will therefore likely require combination of adaptive and innate immune stimulation, myeloid repolarisation, enhanced APC activation and antigen processing/presentation, lifting of the CD47/SIRPα (Cluster of Differentiation 47/signal regulatory protein alpha) 'do not eat me' signal, provision of an apoptotic 'pro-eat me' or 'find me' signal, and blockade of immune checkpoints. The importance of effectively targeting mLILRB2 and SIRPAyeloid cells to achieve improved response rates has recently been emphasised, given myeloid cells are abundant in the tumour microenvironment of most solid tumours. TNFSF14, or LIGHT, is a tumour necrosis superfamily ligand with a broad range of adaptive and innate immune activities, including (1) myeloid cell activation through Lymphotoxin Beta Receptor (LTβR), (2) T/NK (T cell and natural killer cell) induced anti-tumour immune activity through Herpes virus entry mediator (HVEM), (3) potentiation of proinflammatory cytokine/chemokine secretion through LTβR on tumour stromal cells, (4) direct induction of tumour cell apoptosis in vitro, and (5) the reorganisation of lymphatic tissue architecture, including within the tumour microenvironment (TME), by promoting high endothelial venule (HEV) formation and induction of tertiary lymphoid structures. LTBR (Lymphotoxin beta receptor) and HVEM rank highly amongst a range of costimulatory receptors in solid tumours, which raises interest in considering how LIGHT-mediated costimulation may be distinct from a growing list of immunotherapy targets which have failed to provide survival benefit as monotherapy or in combination with PD-1 inhibitors, particularly in the checkpoint acquired resistant setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey W Shuptrine
- Shattuck Labs Inc., Austin, TX, USA; Shattuck Labs Inc., Durham, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Taylor H Schreiber
- Shattuck Labs Inc., Austin, TX, USA; Shattuck Labs Inc., Durham, NC, USA
| | - George Fromm
- Shattuck Labs Inc., Austin, TX, USA; Shattuck Labs Inc., Durham, NC, USA.
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16
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Gao J, Wang Z, Jiang W, Zhang Y, Meng Z, Niu Y, Sheng Z, Chen C, Liu X, Chen X, Liu C, Jia K, Zhang C, Liao H, Jung J, Sung E, Chung H, Zhang JZ, Zhu AX, Shen L. CLDN18.2 and 4-1BB bispecific antibody givastomig exerts antitumor activity through CLDN18.2-expressing tumor-directed T-cell activation. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e006704. [PMID: 37364935 PMCID: PMC10410885 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-006704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Claudin18.2 (CLDN18.2) is a tight junction protein that has been identified as a clinically proven target in gastric cancer. Stimulation of 4-1BB with agonistic antibodies is also a promising strategy for immunotherapy and 4-1BB+ T cells were reported to be present within the tumor microenvironment of patients with gastric cancer. However, hepatotoxicity-mediated by 4-1BB activation was observed in clinical trials of agonistic anti-4-1BB monoclonal antibodies. METHODS To specifically activate the 4-1BB+ T cells in tumor and avoid the on-target liver toxicity, we developed a novel CLDN18.2×4-1BB bispecific antibody (termed 'givastomig' or 'ABL111'; also known as TJ-CD4B or TJ033721) that was designed to activate 4-1BB signaling in a CLDN18.2 engagement-dependent manner. RESULTS 4-1BB+ T cells were observed to be coexisted with CLDN18.2+ tumor cells in proximity by multiplex immunohistochemical staining of tumor tissues from patients with gastric cancer (n=60). Givastomig/ABL111 could bind to cell lines expressing various levels of CLDN18.2 with a high affinity and induce 4-1BB activation in vitro only in the context of CLDN18.2 binding. The magnitude of T-cell activation by givastomig/ABL111 treatment was closely correlated with the CLDN18.2 expression level of tumor cells from gastric cancer patient-derived xenograft model. Mechanistically, givastomig/ABL111 treatment could upregulate the expression of a panel of pro-inflammatory and interferon-γ-responsive genes in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells when co-cultured with CLDN18.2+ tumor cells. Furthermore, in humanized 4-1BB transgenic mice inoculated with human CLDN18.2-expressing tumor cells, givastomig/ABL111 induced a localized immune activation in tumor as evident by the increased ratio of CD8+/regulatory T cell, leading to the superior antitumor activity and long-lasting memory response against tumor rechallenge. Givastomig/ABL111 was well tolerated, with no systemic immune response and hepatotoxicity in monkeys. CONCLUSIONS Givastomig/ABL111 is a novel CLDN18.2×4-1BB bispecific antibody which has the potential to treat patients with gastric cancer with a wide range of CLDN18.2 expression level through the restricted activation of 4-1BB+ T cells in tumor microenvironment to avoid the risk of liver toxicity and systemic immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Gao
- Department of Oncology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Cancer Translational Research, Cancer Institute, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen-Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
- SIP LifeLink Oncology Research Institute, Suzhou, China
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Xi Chen
- I-Mab Biopharma, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Keren Jia
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Haiyan Liao
- Department of Oncology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Cancer Translational Research, Cancer Institute, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen-Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jaeho Jung
- ABL Bio Inc, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | | | | | - Lin Shen
- SIP LifeLink Oncology Research Institute, Suzhou, China
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
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17
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Zaitseva O, Anany M, Wajant H, Lang I. Basic characterization of antibodies targeting receptors of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1115667. [PMID: 37051245 PMCID: PMC10083269 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1115667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Many new immunotherapeutic approaches aim on the stimulatory targeting of receptors of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily (TNFRSF) using antibodies with intrinsic or conditional agonism. There is an initial need to characterize corresponding TNFRSF receptor (TNFR)-targeting antibodies with respect to affinity, ligand binding, receptor activation and the epitope recognized. Here, we report a collection of simple and matched protocols enabling the detailed investigation of these aspects by help of Gaussia princeps luciferase (GpL) fusion proteins and analysis of interleukin-8 (IL8) production as an easily measurable readout of TNFR activation. In a first step, the antibodies and antibody variants of interest are transiently expressed in human embryonal kidney 293 cells, either in non-modified form or as fusion proteins with GpL as a reporter domain. The supernatants containing the antibody-GpL fusion proteins can then be used without further purification in cell-free and/or cellular binding studies to determine affinity. Similarly, binding studies with mutated TNFR variants enable the characterization of the antibody binding site within the TNFR ectodomain. Furthermore, in cellular binding studies with GpL fusion proteins of soluble TNFL molecules, the ability of the non-modified antibody variants to interfere with TNFL-TNFR interaction can be analyzed. Last but not least, we describe a protocol to determine the intrinsic and the Fc gamma receptor (FcγR)-dependent agonism of anti-TNFR antibodies which exploits i) the capability of TNFRs to trigger IL8 production in tumor cell lines lacking expression of FcγRs and ii) vector- and FcγR-transfected cells, which produce no or only very low amounts of human IL8. The presented protocols only require standard molecular biological equipment, eukaryotic cell culture and plate readers for the quantification of luminescent and colorimetric signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olena Zaitseva
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Mohamed Anany
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt
| | - Harald Wajant
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Harald Wajant,
| | - Isabell Lang
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Complement 1q/Tumor Necrosis Factor-Related Proteins (CTRPs): Structure, Receptors and Signaling. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020559. [PMID: 36831095 PMCID: PMC9952994 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Adiponectin and the other 15 members of the complement 1q (C1q)/tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related protein (CTRP) family are secreted proteins composed of an N-terminal variable domain followed by a stalk region and a characteristic C-terminal trimerizing globular C1q (gC1q) domain originally identified in the subunits of the complement protein C1q. We performed a basic PubMed literature search for articles mentioning the various CTRPs or their receptors in the abstract or title. In this narrative review, we briefly summarize the biology of CTRPs and focus then on the structure, receptors and major signaling pathways of CTRPs. Analyses of CTRP knockout mice and CTRP transgenic mice gave overwhelming evidence for the relevance of the anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing effects of CTRPs in autoimmune diseases, obesity, atherosclerosis and cardiac dysfunction. CTRPs form homo- and heterotypic trimers and oligomers which can have different activities. The receptors of some CTRPs are unknown and some receptors are redundantly targeted by several CTRPs. The way in which CTRPs activate their receptors to trigger downstream signaling pathways is largely unknown. CTRPs and their receptors are considered as promising therapeutic targets but their translational usage is still hampered by the limited knowledge of CTRP redundancy and CTRP signal transduction.
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19
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A genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screen identifies FSP1 as the warfarin-resistant vitamin K reductase. Nat Commun 2023; 14:828. [PMID: 36788244 PMCID: PMC9929328 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36446-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Vitamin K is a vital micronutrient implicated in a variety of human diseases. Warfarin, a vitamin K antagonist, is the most commonly prescribed oral anticoagulant. Patients overdosed on warfarin can be rescued by administering high doses of vitamin K because of the existence of a warfarin-resistant vitamin K reductase. Despite the functional discovery of vitamin K reductase over eight decades ago, its identity remained elusive. Here, we report the identification of warfarin-resistant vitamin K reductase using a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screen with a vitamin K-dependent apoptotic reporter cell line. We find that ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1), a ubiquinone oxidoreductase, is the enzyme responsible for vitamin K reduction in a warfarin-resistant manner, consistent with a recent discovery by Mishima et al. FSP1 inhibitor that inhibited ubiquinone reduction and thus triggered cancer cell ferroptosis, displays strong inhibition of vitamin K-dependent carboxylation. Intriguingly, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, another ubiquinone-associated ferroptosis suppressor protein parallel to the function of FSP1, does not support vitamin K-dependent carboxylation. These findings provide new insights into selectively controlling the physiological and pathological processes involving electron transfers mediated by vitamin K and ubiquinone.
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20
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Du G, Zhao L, Zheng Y, Belfetmi A, Cai T, Xu B, Heyninck K, Van Den Heede K, Buyse MA, Fontana P, Bowman M, Lin LL, Wu H, Chou JJ. Autoinhibitory structure of preligand association state implicates a new strategy to attain effective DR5 receptor activation. Cell Res 2023; 33:131-146. [PMID: 36604598 PMCID: PMC9892523 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-022-00755-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF) are important therapeutic targets that can be activated to induce death of cancer cells or stimulate proliferation of immune cells. Although it has long been implicated that these receptors assemble preligand associated states that are required for dominant interference in human disease, such states have so far eluded structural characterization. Here, we find that the ectodomain of death receptor 5 (DR5-ECD), a representative member of TNFRSF, can specifically self-associate when anchored to lipid bilayer, and we report this self-association structure determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Unexpectedly, two non-overlapping interaction interfaces are identified that could propagate to higher-order clusters. Structure-guided mutagenesis indicates that the observed preligand association structure is represented on DR5-expressing cells. The DR5 preligand association serves an autoinhibitory role as single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) that partially dissociate the preligand cluster can sensitize the receptor to its ligand TRAIL and even induce substantial receptor signaling in the absence of TRAIL. Unlike most agonistic antibodies that require multivalent binding to aggregate receptors for activation, these agonistic sdAbs are monovalent and act specifically on an oligomeric, autoinhibitory configuration of the receptor. Our data indicate that receptors such as DR5 can form structurally defined preclusters incompatible with signaling and that true agonists should disrupt the preligand cluster while converting it to signaling-productive cluster. This mechanism enhances our understanding of a long-standing question in TNFRSF signaling and suggests a new opportunity for developing agonistic molecules by targeting receptor preligand clustering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Du
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Linlin Zhao
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yumei Zheng
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anissa Belfetmi
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tiantian Cai
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Boying Xu
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | | | | | | | - Pietro Fontana
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael Bowman
- Checkpoint Immunology, Immunology & Inflammation, Sanofi, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Lih-Ling Lin
- Checkpoint Immunology, Immunology & Inflammation, Sanofi, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - James Jeiwen Chou
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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21
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Yu X, Orr CM, Chan HTC, James S, Penfold CA, Kim J, Inzhelevskaya T, Mockridge CI, Cox KL, Essex JW, Tews I, Glennie MJ, Cragg MS. Reducing affinity as a strategy to boost immunomodulatory antibody agonism. Nature 2023; 614:539-547. [PMID: 36725933 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05673-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Antibody responses during infection and vaccination typically undergo affinity maturation to achieve high-affinity binding for efficient neutralization of pathogens1,2. Similarly, high affinity is routinely the goal for therapeutic antibody generation. However, in contrast to naturally occurring or direct-targeting therapeutic antibodies, immunomodulatory antibodies, which are designed to modulate receptor signalling, have not been widely examined for their affinity-function relationship. Here we examine three separate immunologically important receptors spanning two receptor superfamilies: CD40, 4-1BB and PD-1. We show that low rather than high affinity delivers greater activity through increased clustering. This approach delivered higher immune cell activation, in vivo T cell expansion and antitumour activity in the case of CD40. Moreover, an inert anti-4-1BB monoclonal antibody was transformed into an agonist. Low-affinity variants of the clinically important antagonistic anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody nivolumab also mediated more potent signalling and affected T cell activation. These findings reveal a new paradigm for augmenting agonism across diverse receptor families and shed light on the mechanism of antibody-mediated receptor signalling. Such affinity engineering offers a rational, efficient and highly tuneable solution to deliver antibody-mediated receptor activity across a range of potencies suitable for translation to the treatment of human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojie Yu
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Christian M Orr
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - H T Claude Chan
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Sonya James
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Christine A Penfold
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Jinny Kim
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Tatyana Inzhelevskaya
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - C Ian Mockridge
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Kerry L Cox
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Jonathan W Essex
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Ivo Tews
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Martin J Glennie
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Mark S Cragg
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK.
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
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22
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Pan L, Chou JJ, Fu T. Editorial: Targeting TNF/TNFR signaling pathways. Front Pharmacol 2023; 13:1120954. [PMID: 36686715 PMCID: PMC9846315 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1120954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Liqiang Pan
- 1Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China,*Correspondence: Liqiang Pan,
| | | | - Tianmin Fu
- 3Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
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23
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Müller D. Targeting Co-Stimulatory Receptors of the TNF Superfamily for Cancer Immunotherapy. BioDrugs 2023; 37:21-33. [PMID: 36571696 PMCID: PMC9836981 DOI: 10.1007/s40259-022-00573-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The clinical approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors is an important advancement in the field of cancer immunotherapy. However, the percentage of beneficiaries is still limited and it is becoming clear that combination therapies are required to further enhance the treatment efficacy. The potential of strategies targeting the immunoregulatory network by "hitting the gas pedal" as opposed to "blocking the brakes" is being recognized and intensively investigated. Hence, next to immune checkpoint inhibitors, agonists of co-stimulatory receptors of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily (TNF-SF) are emerging as promising options to expand the immunomodulatory toolbox. In this review the development of different categories of recombinant antibody and ligand-based agonists of 4-1BB, OX40, and GITR is summarized and discussed in the context of the challenges presented by the structural and mechanistical features of the TNFR-SF. An overview of current formats, trends, and clinical studies is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dafne Müller
- grid.5719.a0000 0004 1936 9713Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 31, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
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24
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Zaitseva O, Hoffmann A, Otto C, Wajant H. Targeting fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-inducible 14 (Fn14) for tumor therapy. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:935086. [PMID: 36339601 PMCID: PMC9634131 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.935086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor-inducible 14 (Fn14) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily (TNFRSF) and is activated by its ligand TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK). The latter occurs as a homotrimeric molecule in a soluble and a membrane-bound form. Soluble TWEAK (sTWEAK) activates the weakly inflammatory alternative NF-κB pathway and sensitizes for TNF-induced cell death while membrane TWEAK (memTWEAK) triggers additionally robust activation of the classical NF-κB pathway and various MAP kinase cascades. Fn14 expression is limited in adult organisms but becomes strongly induced in non-hematopoietic cells by a variety of growth factors, cytokines and physical stressors (e.g., hypoxia, irradiation). Since all these Fn14-inducing factors are frequently also present in the tumor microenvironment, Fn14 is regularly found to be expressed by non-hematopoietic cells of the tumor microenvironment and most solid tumor cells. In general, there are three possibilities how the tumor-Fn14 linkage could be taken into consideration for tumor therapy. First, by exploitation of the cancer associated expression of Fn14 to direct cytotoxic activities (antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), cytotoxic payloads, CAR T-cells) to the tumor, second by blockade of potential protumoral activities of the TWEAK/Fn14 system, and third, by stimulation of Fn14 which not only triggers proinflammtory activities but also sensitizes cells for apoptotic and necroptotic cell death. Based on a brief description of the biology of the TWEAK/Fn14 system and Fn14 signaling, we discuss the features of the most relevant Fn14-targeting biologicals and review the preclinical data obtained with these reagents. In particular, we address problems and limitations which became evident in the preclinical studies with Fn14-targeting biologicals and debate possibilities how they could be overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olena Zaitseva
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Annett Hoffmann
- Department of General, Visceral, Transplantation,Vascular and Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Otto
- Department of General, Visceral, Transplantation,Vascular and Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Harald Wajant
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Harald Wajant,
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25
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Ibraheem K, Yhmed AMA, Nasef MM, Georgopoulos NT. TRAF3/p38-JNK Signalling Crosstalk with Intracellular-TRAIL/Caspase-10-Induced Apoptosis Accelerates ROS-Driven Cancer Cell-Specific Death by CD40. Cells 2022; 11:cells11203274. [PMID: 36291141 PMCID: PMC9600997 DOI: 10.3390/cells11203274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The capacity to induce tumour-cell specific apoptosis represents the most unique feature of the TNF receptor (TNFR) family member CD40. Recent studies on the signalling events triggered by its membrane-presented ligand CD40L (mCD40L) in normal and malignant epithelial cells have started to unravel an exquisite context and cell type specificity for the functional effects of CD40. Here, we demonstrate that, in comparison to other carcinomas, mCD40L triggered strikingly more rapid apoptosis in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) cells, underpinned by its ability to entrain two concurrently operating signalling axes. CD40 ligation initially activates TNFR-associated factor 3 (TRAF3) and subsequently NADPH oxidase (NOX)/Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1)-signalling and induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to mediate p38/JNK- and ROS-dependent cell death. At that point, p38/JNK signalling directly activates the mitochondrial pathway, and triggers rapid induction of intracellular TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) that signals from internal compartments to initiate extrinsic caspase-10-asscociated apoptosis, leading to truncated Bid (tBid)-activated mitochondrial signalling. p38 and JNK are essential both for direct mitochondrial apoptosis induction and the TRAIL/caspase-10/tBid pathway, but their involvement follows functional hierarchy and temporally controlled interplay, as p38 function is required for JNK phosphorylation. By engaging both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways to activate apoptosis via two signals simultaneously, CD40 can accelerate CRC cell death. Our findings further unravel the multi-faceted properties of the CD40/mCD40L dyad, highlighted by the novel TNFR crosstalk that accelerates tumour cell-specific death, and may have implications for the use of CD40 as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalidah Ibraheem
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UK
| | - Albashir M. A. Yhmed
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UK
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Medical Technology, Wadi Alshatti University, Wadi Alshatti P.O. Box 68, Libya
| | - Mohamed M. Nasef
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UK
| | - Nikolaos T. Georgopoulos
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UK
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44-(0)1484-25-6860
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26
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Zhang J, Jiang X, Gao H, Zhang F, Zhang X, Zhou A, Xu T, Cai H. Structural Basis of a Novel Agonistic Anti-OX40 Antibody. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12091209. [PMID: 36139048 PMCID: PMC9496217 DOI: 10.3390/biom12091209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Agonistic antibodies targeting co-stimulating receptor OX40 on T cells are considered as important as (or complementary to) the immune checkpoint blockers in cancer treatment. However, none of these agonistic antibodies have reached the late stage of clinical development partially due to the lack of intrinsic potency with the correlation between binding epitope and activity of the antibody not well understood. Here, we identified a novel anti-OX40 agonistic antibody DF004, which stimulated the proliferation of human CD4+ T cells in vitro and inhibited tumor growth in a mouse model. Our crystallography structural studies showed that DF004 binds to the CRD2 region of OX40 while RG7888, an OX40 agonist antibody developed by Roche, binds to CRD3 of OX40 to the diametrically opposite position of DF004. This suggests that the agonistic activities of the antibodies are not necessarily epitope dependent. As their agonistic activities critically depend on clustering or cross-linking, our structural modeling indicates that the agonistic activity requires the optimal positioning of three Fc receptor/antibody/OX40 complexes on the cell membrane to facilitate the formation of one intracellular hexameric TRAF complex for downstream signal transduction, which is relatively inefficient. This may explain the lack of sufficient potency of these OX40 antibodies in a therapeutic setting and sheds light on the development of cross-linking-independent agonistic antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xiaoyong Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Han Gao
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Fei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Dingfu Biotarget Co., Ltd., Suzhou 215126, China
| | - Aiwu Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
- Correspondence: (A.Z.); (T.X.); (H.C.)
| | - Ting Xu
- Dingfu Biotarget Co., Ltd., Suzhou 215126, China
- Correspondence: (A.Z.); (T.X.); (H.C.)
| | - Haiyan Cai
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China
- Correspondence: (A.Z.); (T.X.); (H.C.)
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27
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Peper-Gabriel JK, Pavlidou M, Pattarini L, Morales-Kastresana A, Jaquin TJ, Gallou C, Hansbauer EM, Richter M, Lelievre H, Scholer-Dahirel A, Bossenmaier B, Sancerne C, Riviere M, Grandclaudon M, Zettl M, Bel Aiba RS, Rothe C, Blanc V, Olwill SA. The PD-L1/4-1BB Bispecific Antibody-Anticalin Fusion Protein PRS-344/S095012 Elicits Strong T-Cell Stimulation in a Tumor-Localized Manner. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:3387-3399. [PMID: 35121624 PMCID: PMC9662934 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-2762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE While patients responding to checkpoint blockade often achieve remarkable clinical responses, there is still significant unmet need due to resistant or refractory tumors. A combination of checkpoint blockade with further T-cell stimulation mediated by 4-1BB agonism may increase response rates and durability of response. A bispecific molecule that blocks the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) axis and localizes 4-1BB costimulation to a PD-L1-positive (PD-L1+) tumor microenvironment (TME) or tumor draining lymph nodes could maximize antitumor immunity and increase the therapeutic window beyond what has been reported for anti-4-1BB mAbs. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We generated and characterized the PD-L1/4-1BB bispecific molecule PRS-344/S095012 for target binding and functional activity in multiple relevant in vitro assays. Transgenic mice expressing human 4-1BB were transplanted with human PD-L1-expressing murine MC38 cells to assess in vivo antitumoral activity. RESULTS PRS-344/S095012 bound to its targets with high affinity and efficiently blocked the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, and PRS-344/S095012-mediated 4-1BB costimulation was strictly PD-L1 dependent. We demonstrated a synergistic effect of both pathways on T-cell stimulation with the bispecific PRS-344/S095012 being more potent than the combination of mAbs. PRS-344/S095012 augmented CD4-positive (CD4+) and CD8-positive (CD8+) T-cell effector functions and enhanced antigen-specific T-cell stimulation. Finally, PRS-344/S095012 demonstrated strong antitumoral efficacy in an anti-PD-L1-resistant mouse model in which soluble 4-1BB was detected as an early marker for 4-1BB agonist activity. CONCLUSIONS The PD-L1/4-1BB bispecific PRS-344/S095012 efficiently combines checkpoint blockade with a tumor-localized 4-1BB-mediated stimulation burst to antigen-specific T cells, more potent than the combination of mAbs, supporting the advancement of PRS-344/S095012 toward clinical development. See related commentary by Shu et al., p. 3182.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lucia Pattarini
- Institut de Recherches Servier, Center for Therapeutic Innovation Oncology, Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | | | | | - Catherine Gallou
- Institut de Recherches Servier, Center for Therapeutic Innovation Oncology, Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | | | | | - Helene Lelievre
- Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier Oncology R&D Unit, Suresnes, France
| | - Alix Scholer-Dahirel
- Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier Oncology R&D Unit, Suresnes, France
| | | | - Celine Sancerne
- Institut de Recherches Servier, Center for Therapeutic Innovation Oncology, Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Matthieu Riviere
- Institut de Recherches Servier, Center for Therapeutic Innovation Oncology, Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Maximilien Grandclaudon
- Institut de Recherches Servier, Center for Therapeutic Innovation Oncology, Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Markus Zettl
- Pieris Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Hallbergmoos, Germany
| | | | | | - Veronique Blanc
- Institut de Recherches Servier, Center for Therapeutic Innovation Oncology, Croissy-sur-Seine, France
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28
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Orr CM, Fisher H, Yu X, Chan CHT, Gao Y, Duriez PJ, Booth SG, Elliott I, Inzhelevskaya T, Mockridge I, Penfold CA, Wagner A, Glennie MJ, White AL, Essex JW, Pearson AR, Cragg MS, Tews I. Hinge disulfides in human IgG2 CD40 antibodies modulate receptor signaling by regulation of conformation and flexibility. Sci Immunol 2022; 7:eabm3723. [PMID: 35857577 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abm3723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2024]
Abstract
Antibodies protect from infection, underpin successful vaccines and elicit therapeutic responses in otherwise untreatable cancers and autoimmune conditions. The human IgG2 isotype displays a unique capacity to undergo disulfide shuffling in the hinge region, leading to modulation of its ability to drive target receptor signaling (agonism) in a variety of important immune receptors, through hitherto unexplained molecular mechanisms. To address the underlying process and reveal how hinge disulfide orientation affects agonistic activity, we generated a series of cysteine to serine exchange variants in the hinge region of the clinically relevant monoclonal antibody ChiLob7/4, directed against the key immune receptor CD40. We report how agonistic activity varies with disulfide pattern and is afforded by the presence of a disulfide crossover between F(ab) arms in the agonistic forms, independently of epitope, as observed in the determined crystallographic structures. This structural "switch" affects directly on antibody conformation and flexibility. Small-angle x-ray scattering and ensemble modeling demonstrated that the least flexible variants adopt the fewest conformations and evoke the highest levels of receptor agonism. This covalent change may be amenable for broad implementation to modulate receptor signaling in an epitope-independent manner in future therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian M Orr
- University of Southampton, Biological Sciences, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
- University of Southampton, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
- Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging CFEL, Hamburg 22761, Germany
- Diamond Light Source, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Hayden Fisher
- University of Southampton, Biological Sciences, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
- University of Southampton, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Xiaojie Yu
- University of Southampton, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Claude H-T Chan
- University of Southampton, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Yunyun Gao
- Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging CFEL, Hamburg 22761, Germany
- Institute for Nanostructure and Solid State Physics, Hamburg 22761, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, Hamburg 22761, Germany
| | - Patrick J Duriez
- University of Southampton, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
- University of Southampton, CRUK Protein Core Facility, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Steven G Booth
- University of Southampton, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Isabel Elliott
- University of Southampton, Biological Sciences, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
- University of Southampton, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
- University of Southampton, School of Chemistry, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | | | - Ian Mockridge
- University of Southampton, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Christine A Penfold
- University of Southampton, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | | | - Martin J Glennie
- University of Southampton, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Ann L White
- University of Southampton, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
- UCB Pharma, Slough SL1 3WE, UK
| | - Jonathan W Essex
- University of Southampton, School of Chemistry, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
- University of Southampton, Institute for Life Sciences, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Arwen R Pearson
- Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging CFEL, Hamburg 22761, Germany
- Institute for Nanostructure and Solid State Physics, Hamburg 22761, Germany
| | - Mark S Cragg
- University of Southampton, Centre for Cancer Immunology, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
- University of Southampton, Institute for Life Sciences, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Ivo Tews
- University of Southampton, Biological Sciences, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
- University of Southampton, Institute for Life Sciences, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
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29
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Liu L, Wu Y, Ye K, Cai M, Zhuang G, Wang J. Antibody-Targeted TNFRSF Activation for Cancer Immunotherapy: The Role of FcγRIIB Cross-Linking. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:924197. [PMID: 35865955 PMCID: PMC9295861 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.924197] [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: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Co-stimulation signaling in various types of immune cells modulates immune responses in physiology and disease. Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF) members such as CD40, OX40 and CD137/4-1BB are expressed on myeloid cells and/or lymphocytes, and they regulate antigen presentation and adaptive immune activities. TNFRSF agonistic antibodies have been evaluated extensively in preclinical models, and the robust antitumor immune responses and efficacy have encouraged continued clinical investigations for the last two decades. However, balancing the toxicities and efficacy of TNFRSF agonistic antibodies remains a major challenge in the clinical development. Insights into the co-stimulation signaling biology, antibody structural roles and their functionality in immuno-oncology are guiding new advancement of this field. Leveraging the interactions between antibodies and the inhibitory Fc receptor FcγRIIB to optimize co-stimulation agonistic activities dependent on FcγRIIB cross-linking selectively in tumor microenvironment represents the current frontier, which also includes cross-linking through tumor antigen binding with bispecific antibodies. In this review, we will summarize the immunological roles of TNFRSF members and current clinical studies of TNFRSF agonistic antibodies. We will also cover the contribution of different IgG structure domains to these agonistic activities, with a focus on the role of FcγRIIB in TNFRSF cross-linking and clustering bridged by agonistic antibodies. We will review and discuss several Fc-engineering approaches to optimize Fc binding ability to FcγRIIB in the context of proper Fab and the epitope, including a cross-linking antibody (xLinkAb) model and its application in developing TNFRSF agonistic antibodies with improved efficacy and safety for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yi Wu
- Lyvgen Biopharma, Shanghai, China
| | - Kaiyan Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gynecologic Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Meichun Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gynecologic Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Guanglei Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gynecologic Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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30
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Liu H, Wu W, Sun G, Chia T, Cao L, Liu X, Guan J, Fu F, Yao Y, Wu Z, Zhou S, Wang J, Lu J, Kuang Z, Wu M, He L, Shao Z, Wu D, Chen B, Xu W, Wang Z, He K. Optimal target saturation of ligand-blocking anti-GITR antibody IBI37G5 dictates FcγR-independent GITR agonism and antitumor activity. Cell Rep Med 2022; 3:100660. [PMID: 35732156 PMCID: PMC9245059 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR) is a co-stimulatory receptor and an important target for cancer immunotherapy. We herein present a potent FcγR-independent GITR agonist IBI37G5 that can effectively activate effector T cells and synergize with anti-programmed death 1 (PD1) antibody to eradicate established tumors. IBI37G5 depends on both antibody bivalency and GITR homo-dimerization for efficient receptor cross-linking. Functional analyses reveal bell-shaped dose responses due to the unique 2:2 antibody-receptor stoichiometry required for GITR activation. Antibody self-competition is observed after concentration exceeded that of 100% receptor occupancy (RO), which leads to antibody monovalent binding and loss of activity. Retrospective pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics analysis demonstrates that the maximal efficacy is achieved at medium doses with drug exposure near saturating GITR occupancy during the dosing cycle. Finally, we propose an alternative dose-finding strategy that does not rely on the traditional maximal tolerated dose (MTD)-based paradigm but instead on utilizing the RO-function relations as biomarker to guide the clinical translation of GITR and similar co-stimulatory agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huisi Liu
- Department of Immunology, Innovent Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Weiwei Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Preclinical Studies, Innovent Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Gangyu Sun
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tiongsun Chia
- Department of Immunology, Innovent Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Lei Cao
- Department of Pharmacology and Preclinical Studies, Innovent Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Xiaodan Liu
- Department of Immunology, Innovent Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Jian Guan
- Department of Immunology, Innovent Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Fenggen Fu
- Department of Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Ying Yao
- Department of Pharmacology and Preclinical Studies, Innovent Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Zhihai Wu
- Department of Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Shuaixiang Zhou
- Department of Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Preclinical Studies, Innovent Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Jia Lu
- Department of Pharmacology and Preclinical Studies, Innovent Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Zhihui Kuang
- Department of Pharmacology and Preclinical Studies, Innovent Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Preclinical Studies, Innovent Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Luan He
- Department of Immunology, Innovent Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Zhiyuan Shao
- Department of Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Dongdong Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Preclinical Studies, Innovent Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Bingliang Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Preclinical Studies, Innovent Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Wenqing Xu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhizhi Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Kaijie He
- Department of Immunology, Innovent Guoqing Academy, Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China.
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31
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Takahashi H, Yoshimatsu G, Faustman DL. The Roles of TNFR2 Signaling in Cancer Cells and the Tumor Microenvironment and the Potency of TNFR2 Targeted Therapy. Cells 2022; 11:cells11121952. [PMID: 35741080 PMCID: PMC9222015 DOI: 10.3390/cells11121952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The appreciation that cancer growth is promoted by a dynamic tumor microenvironment (TME) has spawned novel approaches to cancer treatment. New therapies include agents that activate quiescent T effector cells and agents that interfere with abnormal neovascularity. Although promising, many experimental therapies targeted at the TME have systemic toxicity. Another approach is to target the TME with greater specificity by taking aim at the tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) signaling pathway. TNFR2 is an attractive molecular target because it is rarely expressed in normal tissues (thus, has low potential for systemic toxicity) and because it is overexpressed on many types of cancer cells as well as on associated TME components, such as T regulatory cells (Tregs), tumor-associated macrophages, and other cells that facilitate tumor progression and spread. Novel therapies that block TNFR2 signaling show promise in cell culture studies, animal models, and human studies. Novel antibodies have been developed that expressly kill only rapidly proliferating cells expressing newly synthesized TNFR2 protein. This review traces the origins of our understanding of TNFR2’s multifaceted roles in the TME and discusses the therapeutic potential of agents designed to block TNFR2 as the cornerstone of a TME-specific strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Takahashi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Fukuoka University Hospital, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan; (H.T.); (G.Y.)
- Immunobiology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Gumpei Yoshimatsu
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Fukuoka University Hospital, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan; (H.T.); (G.Y.)
| | - Denise Louise Faustman
- Immunobiology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-617-726-4084; Fax: +1-617-726-4095
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32
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Medler J, Kucka K, Wajant H. Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 2 (TNFR2): An Emerging Target in Cancer Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14112603. [PMID: 35681583 PMCID: PMC9179537 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14112603] [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: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the great success of TNF blockers in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and the identification of TNF as a factor that influences the development of tumors in many ways, the role of TNFR2 in tumor biology and its potential suitability as a therapeutic target in cancer therapy have long been underestimated. This has been fundamentally changed with the identification of TNFR2 as a regulatory T-cell (Treg)-stimulating factor and the general clinical breakthrough of immunotherapeutic approaches. However, considering TNFR2 as a sole immunosuppressive factor in the tumor microenvironment does not go far enough. TNFR2 can also co-stimulate CD8+ T-cells, sensitize some immune and tumor cells to the cytotoxic effects of TNFR1 and/or acts as an oncogene. In view of the wide range of cancer-associated TNFR2 activities, it is not surprising that both antagonists and agonists of TNFR2 are considered for tumor therapy and have indeed shown overwhelming anti-tumor activity in preclinical studies. Based on a brief summary of TNFR2 signaling and the immunoregulatory functions of TNFR2, we discuss here the main preclinical findings and insights gained with TNFR2 agonists and antagonists. In particular, we address the question of which TNFR2-associated molecular and cellular mechanisms underlie the observed anti-tumoral activities of TNFR2 agonists and antagonists.
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33
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Nawaz FZ, Kipreos ET. Emerging roles for folate receptor FOLR1 in signaling and cancer. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2022; 33:159-174. [PMID: 35094917 PMCID: PMC8923831 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2021.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Folates are B vitamins that function in one-carbon metabolism. Folate receptors are one of three major types of folate transporters. The folate receptors FOLR1 and FOLR2 are overexpressed in multiple cancers. The overexpression of FOLR1 is often associated with increased cancer progression and poor patient prognosis. There is emerging evidence that FOLR1 is involved in signaling pathways that are independent of one-carbon metabolism. Recent publications implicate a direct role of FOLR1 in three signaling pathways: JAK-STAT3, ERK1/2, and as a transcription factor. Six other signaling pathways have been proposed to include FOLR1, but these currently lack sufficient data to infer a direct signaling role for FOLR1. We discuss the data that support noncanonical roles for FOLR1, and its limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fathima Zahra Nawaz
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Edward T Kipreos
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
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34
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Thapa Magar K, Boafo GF, Li X, Chen Z, He W. Liposome-based delivery of biological drugs. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2021.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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35
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Aschmoneit N, Kocher K, Siegemund M, Lutz MS, Kühl L, Seifert O, Kontermann RE. Fc-based Duokines: dual-acting costimulatory molecules comprising TNFSF ligands in the single-chain format fused to a heterodimerizing Fc (scDk-Fc). Oncoimmunology 2022; 11:2028961. [PMID: 35083097 PMCID: PMC8786347 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2022.2028961] [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] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeting costimulatory receptors of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily (TNFSF) to activate T-cells and promote anti-tumor T-cell function have emerged as a promising strategy in cancer immunotherapy. Previous studies have shown that combining two different members of the TNFSF resulted in dual-acting costimulatory molecules with the ability to activate two different receptors either on the same cell or on different cell types. To achieve prolonged plasma half-life and extended drug disposition, we have developed novel dual-acting molecules by fusing single-chain ligands of the TNFSF to heterodimerizing Fc chains (scDuokine-Fc, scDk-Fc). Incorporating costimulatory ligands of the TNF superfamily into a scDk-Fc molecule resulted in enhanced T-cell proliferation translating in an increased anti-tumor activity in combination with a primary T-cell-activating bispecific antibody. Our data show that the scDk-Fc molecules are potent immune-stimulatory molecules that are able to enhance T-cell mediated anti-tumor responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Aschmoneit
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Katharina Kocher
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Martin Siegemund
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Martina S. Lutz
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Lennart Kühl
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Oliver Seifert
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
- Stuttgart Research Center Systems Biology (SRCSB), University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Roland E. Kontermann
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
- Stuttgart Research Center Systems Biology (SRCSB), University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
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36
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The Implementation of TNFRSF Co-Stimulatory Domains in CAR-T Cells for Optimal Functional Activity. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14020299. [PMID: 35053463 PMCID: PMC8773791 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14020299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily (TNFRSF) is a large and important immunoregulatory family that provides crucial co-stimulatory signals to many if not all immune effector cells. Each co-stimulatory TNFRSF member has a distinct expression profile and a unique functional impact on various types of cells and at different stages of the immune response. Correspondingly, exploiting TNFRSF-mediated signaling for cancer immunotherapy has been a major field of interest, with various therapeutic TNFRSF-exploiting anti-cancer approaches such as 4-1BB and CD27 agonistic antibodies being evaluated (pre)clinically. A further application of TNFRSF signaling is the incorporation of the intracellular co-stimulatory domain of a TNFRSF into so-called Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) constructs for CAR-T cell therapy, the most prominent example of which is the 4-1BB co-stimulatory domain included in the clinically approved product Kymriah. In fact, CAR-T cell function can be clearly influenced by the unique co-stimulatory features of members of the TNFRSF. Here, we review a select group of TNFRSF members (4-1BB, OX40, CD27, CD40, HVEM, and GITR) that have gained prominence as co-stimulatory domains in CAR-T cell therapy and illustrate the unique features that each confers to CAR-T cells.
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37
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Aido A, Zaitseva O, Wajant H, Buzgo M, Simaite A. Anti-Fn14 Antibody-Conjugated Nanoparticles Display Membrane TWEAK-Like Agonism. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13071072. [PMID: 34371763 PMCID: PMC8308961 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13071072] [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: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Conventional bivalent IgG antibodies targeting a subgroup of receptors of the TNF superfamily (TNFSF) including fibroblast growth factor-inducible 14 (anti-Fn14) typically display no or only very limited agonistic activity on their own and can only trigger receptor signaling by crosslinking or when bound to Fcγ receptors (FcγR). Both result in proximity of multiple antibody-bound TNFRSF receptor (TNFR) molecules, which enables engagement of TNFR-associated signaling pathways. Here, we have linked anti-Fn14 antibodies to gold nanoparticles to mimic the “activating” effect of plasma membrane-presented FcγR-anchored anti-Fn14 antibodies. We functionalized gold nanoparticles with poly-ethylene glycol (PEG) linkers and then coupled antibodies to the PEG surface of the nanoparticles. We found that Fn14 binding of the anti-Fn14 antibodies PDL192 and 5B6 is preserved upon attachment to the nanoparticles. More importantly, the gold nanoparticle-presented anti-Fn14 antibody molecules displayed strong agonistic activity. Our results suggest that conjugation of monoclonal anti-TNFR antibodies to gold nanoparticles can be exploited to uncover their latent agonism, e.g., for immunotherapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Aido
- InoCure s.r.o, Department of R&D, Prumyslová 1960, 250 88 Celákovice, Czech Republic; (M.B.); (A.S.)
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Auverahaus, Grombühlstrasse 12, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; (O.Z.); (H.W.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-174-913-6442
| | - Olena Zaitseva
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Auverahaus, Grombühlstrasse 12, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; (O.Z.); (H.W.)
| | - Harald Wajant
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Auverahaus, Grombühlstrasse 12, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; (O.Z.); (H.W.)
| | - Matej Buzgo
- InoCure s.r.o, Department of R&D, Prumyslová 1960, 250 88 Celákovice, Czech Republic; (M.B.); (A.S.)
| | - Aiva Simaite
- InoCure s.r.o, Department of R&D, Prumyslová 1960, 250 88 Celákovice, Czech Republic; (M.B.); (A.S.)
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38
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Nelke J, Medler J, Weisenberger D, Beilhack A, Wajant H. CD40- and CD95-specific antibody single chain-Baff fusion proteins display BaffR-, TACI- and BCMA-restricted agonism. MAbs 2021; 12:1807721. [PMID: 32840410 PMCID: PMC7531569 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2020.1807721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies that target a clinically relevant group of receptors within the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF), including CD40 and CD95 (Fas/Apo-1), also require binding to Fc gamma receptors (FcγRs) to elicit a strong agonistic activity. This FcγR dependency largely relies on the mere cellular anchoring through the antibody’s Fc domain and does not involve the engagement of FcγR signaling. The aim of this study was to elicit agonistic activity from αCD40 and αCD95 antibodies in a myeloma cell anchoring-controlled FcγR-independent manner. For this purpose, various antibody variants (IgG1, IgG1N297A, Fab2) against the TNFRSF members CD40 and CD95 were genetically fused to a single-chain-encoded B-cell activating factor (scBaff) trimer as a C-terminal myeloma-specific anchoring domain substituting for Fc domain-mediated FcγR binding. The antibody-scBaff fusion proteins were evaluated in binding studies and functional assays using tumor cell lines expressing one or more of the three receptors of Baff: BaffR, transmembrane activator and CAML interactor (TACI) and B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA). Cellular binding studies showed that the binding properties of the different domains within the fusion proteins remained fully intact in the antibody-scBaff fusion proteins. In co-culture assays of CD40- and CD95-responsive cells with BaffR, BCMA or TACI expressing anchoring cells, the antibody fusion proteins displayed strong agonism while only minor receptor stimulation was observed in co-cultures with cells without expression of Baff-interacting receptors. Thus, our CD40 and CD95 antibody fusion proteins display myeloma cell-dependent activity and promise reduced systemic side effects compared to conventional CD40 and CD95 agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Nelke
- Molecular Internal Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg , Würzburg, Germany
| | - Juliane Medler
- Molecular Internal Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg , Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Andreas Beilhack
- Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital Würzburg , Würzburg, Germany
| | - Harald Wajant
- Molecular Internal Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg , Würzburg, Germany
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39
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Yu X, James S, Felce JH, Kellermayer B, Johnston DA, Chan HTC, Penfold CA, Kim J, Inzhelevskaya T, Mockridge CI, Watanabe Y, Crispin M, French RR, Duriez PJ, Douglas LR, Glennie MJ, Cragg MS. TNF receptor agonists induce distinct receptor clusters to mediate differential agonistic activity. Commun Biol 2021; 4:772. [PMID: 34162985 PMCID: PMC8222242 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02309-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) and natural ligands targeting costimulatory tumor necrosis factor receptors (TNFR) exhibit a wide range of agonistic activities and antitumor responses. The mechanisms underlying these differential agonistic activities remain poorly understood. Here, we employ a panel of experimental and clinically-relevant molecules targeting human CD40, 4-1BB and OX40 to examine this issue. Confocal and STORM microscopy reveal that strongly agonistic reagents induce clusters characterized by small area and high receptor density. Using antibody pairs differing only in isotype we show that hIgG2 confers significantly more receptor clustering than hIgG1 across all three receptors, explaining its greater agonistic activity, with receptor clustering shielding the receptor-agonist complex from further molecular access. Nevertheless, discrete receptor clustering patterns are observed with different hIgG2 mAb, with a unique rod-shaped assembly observed with the most agonistic mAb. These findings dispel the notion that larger receptor clusters elicit greater agonism, and instead point to receptor density and subsequent super-structure as key determinants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojie Yu
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK.
| | - Sonya James
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | | | | | - David A Johnston
- Biomedical Imaging Unit, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - H T Claude Chan
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Christine A Penfold
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Jinny Kim
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Tatyana Inzhelevskaya
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - C Ian Mockridge
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Yasunori Watanabe
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Max Crispin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Ruth R French
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Patrick J Duriez
- CRUK Protein Core Facility, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Leon R Douglas
- CRUK Protein Core Facility, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Martin J Glennie
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Mark S Cragg
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK.
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
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40
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Enell Smith K, Deronic A, Hägerbrand K, Norlén P, Ellmark P. Rationale and clinical development of CD40 agonistic antibodies for cancer immunotherapy. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2021; 21:1635-1646. [PMID: 34043482 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2021.1934446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: CD40 signaling activates dendritic cells leading to improved T cell priming against tumor antigens. CD40 agonism expands the tumor-specific T cell repertoire and has the potential to increase the fraction of patients that respond to established immunotherapies.Areas covered: This article reviews current as well as emerging CD40 agonist therapies with a focus on antibody-based therapies, including next generation bispecific CD40 agonists. The scientific rationale for different design criteria, binding epitopes, and formats are discussed.Expert opinion: The ability of CD40 agonists to activate dendritic cells and enhance antigen cross-presentation to CD8+ T cells provides an opportunity to elevate response rates of cancer immunotherapies. While there are many challenges left to address, including optimal dose regimen, CD40 agonist profile, combination partners and indications, we are confident that CD40 agonists will play an important role in the challenging task of reprogramming the immune system to fight cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Peter Ellmark
- Alligator Bioscience AB, Sweden.,Department of Immunotechnology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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41
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Rujas E, Kucharska I, Tan YZ, Benlekbir S, Cui H, Zhao T, Wasney GA, Budylowski P, Guvenc F, Newton JC, Sicard T, Semesi A, Muthuraman K, Nouanesengsy A, Aschner CB, Prieto K, Bueler SA, Youssef S, Liao-Chan S, Glanville J, Christie-Holmes N, Mubareka S, Gray-Owen SD, Rubinstein JL, Treanor B, Julien JP. Multivalency transforms SARS-CoV-2 antibodies into ultrapotent neutralizers. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3661. [PMID: 34135340 PMCID: PMC8209050 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23825-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, has caused a global pandemic. Antibodies can be powerful biotherapeutics to fight viral infections. Here, we use the human apoferritin protomer as a modular subunit to drive oligomerization of antibody fragments and transform antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2 into exceptionally potent neutralizers. Using this platform, half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values as low as 9 × 10-14 M are achieved as a result of up to 10,000-fold potency enhancements compared to corresponding IgGs. Combination of three different antibody specificities and the fragment crystallizable (Fc) domain on a single multivalent molecule conferred the ability to overcome viral sequence variability together with outstanding potency and IgG-like bioavailability. The MULTi-specific, multi-Affinity antiBODY (Multabody or MB) platform thus uniquely leverages binding avidity together with multi-specificity to deliver ultrapotent and broad neutralizers against SARS-CoV-2. The modularity of the platform also makes it relevant for rapid evaluation against other infectious diseases of global health importance. Neutralizing antibodies are a promising therapeutic for SARS-CoV-2.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/chemistry
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/genetics
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/pharmacology
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/chemistry
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/immunology
- Antibodies, Viral/chemistry
- Antibodies, Viral/immunology
- Antibody Specificity
- Apoferritins/chemistry
- Biological Availability
- Epitope Mapping
- Humans
- Immunoglobulin G/immunology
- Male
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Protein Engineering/methods
- Protein Subunits/chemistry
- SARS-CoV-2/immunology
- Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/immunology
- Tissue Distribution
- Mice
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Affiliation(s)
- Edurne Rujas
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Biofisika Institute (CSIC, UPV/EHU) and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain
| | - Iga Kucharska
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yong Zi Tan
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Samir Benlekbir
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hong Cui
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tiantian Zhao
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gregory A Wasney
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- The Structural & Biophysical Core Facility, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Patrick Budylowski
- Combined Containment Level 3 Unit, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Furkan Guvenc
- Combined Containment Level 3 Unit, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jocelyn C Newton
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Taylor Sicard
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anthony Semesi
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Krithika Muthuraman
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Amy Nouanesengsy
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Clare Burn Aschner
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Katherine Prieto
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Stephanie A Bueler
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Samira Mubareka
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Scott D Gray-Owen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - John L Rubinstein
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bebhinn Treanor
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jean-Philippe Julien
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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42
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Prada JP, Wangorsch G, Kucka K, Lang I, Dandekar T, Wajant H. A systems-biology model of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) interactions with TNF receptor 1 and 2. Bioinformatics 2021; 37:669-676. [PMID: 32991680 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btaa844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Clustering enables TNF receptors to stimulate intracellular signaling. The differential soluble ligand-induced clustering behavior of TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) and TNFR2 was modeled. A structured, rule-based model implemented ligand-independent pre-ligand binding assembly domain (PLAD)-mediated homotypic low affinity interactions of unliganded and liganded TNF receptors. RESULTS Soluble TNF initiates TNFR1 signaling but not TNFR2 signaling despite receptor binding unless it is secondarily oligomerized. We consider high affinity binding of TNF to signaling-incompetent pre-assembled dimeric TNFR1 and TNFR2 molecules and secondary clustering of liganded dimers to signaling competent ligand-receptor clusters. Published receptor numbers, affinities and measured different activities of clustered receptors validated model simulations for a large range of receptor and ligand concentrations. Different PLAD-PLAD affinities and different activities of receptor clusters explain the observed differences in the TNF receptor stimulating activities of soluble TNF. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION All scripts and data are in manuscript and supplement at Bioinformatics online. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Pablo Prada
- Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97074, Germany
| | - Gaby Wangorsch
- Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97074, Germany
| | - Kirstin Kucka
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg 97080, Germany
| | - Isabell Lang
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg 97080, Germany
| | - Thomas Dandekar
- Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97074, Germany.,Department of Structural and Computational Biology, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 69012 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Harald Wajant
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg 97080, Germany
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43
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Kotanides H, Sattler RM, Lebron MB, Carpenito C, Shen J, Li J, Surguladze D, Haidar JN, Burns C, Shen L, Inigo I, Pennello AL, Forest A, Chen X, Chin D, Sonyi A, Topper M, Boucher L, Sharma P, Zhang Y, Burtrum D, Novosiadly RD, Ludwig DL, Plowman GD, Kalos M. Characterization of 7A5: A Human CD137 (4-1BB) Receptor Binding Monoclonal Antibody with Differential Agonist Properties That Promotes Antitumor Immunity. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 19:988-998. [PMID: 32241872 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-19-0893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The CD137 receptor plays a key role in mediating immune response by promoting T cell proliferation, survival, and memory. Effective agonism of CD137 has the potential to reinvigorate potent antitumor immunity either alone or in combination with other immune-checkpoint therapies. In this study, we describe the discovery and characterization of a unique CD137 agonist, 7A5, a fully human IgG1 Fc effector-null monoclonal antibody. The biological properties of 7A5 were investigated through in vitro and in vivo studies. 7A5 binds CD137, and the binding epitope overlaps with the CD137L binding site based on structure. 7A5 engages CD137 receptor and activates NF-κB cell signaling independent of cross-linking or Fc effector function. In addition, T cell activation measured by cytokine IFNγ production is induced by 7A5 in peripheral blood mononuclear cell costimulation assay. Human tumor xenograft mouse models reconstituted with human immune cells were used to determine antitumor activity in vivo. Monotherapy with 7A5 inhibits tumor growth, and this activity is enhanced in combination with a PD-L1 antagonist antibody. Furthermore, the intratumoral immune gene expression signature in response to 7A5 is highly suggestive of enhanced T cell infiltration and activation. Taken together, these results demonstrate 7A5 is a differentiated CD137 agonist antibody with biological properties that warrant its further development as a cancer immunotherapy. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: http://mct.aacrjournals.org/content/molcanther/19/4/988/F1.large.jpg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Kotanides
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York.
| | | | - Maria B Lebron
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - Carmine Carpenito
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - Juqun Shen
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - Jingxing Li
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - David Surguladze
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - Jaafar N Haidar
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - Colleen Burns
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - Leyi Shen
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - Ivan Inigo
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | | | - Amelie Forest
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - Xinlei Chen
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - Darin Chin
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - Andreas Sonyi
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - Michael Topper
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - Lauren Boucher
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - Prachi Sharma
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - Yiwei Zhang
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - Douglas Burtrum
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | | | - Dale L Ludwig
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - Gregory D Plowman
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
| | - Michael Kalos
- Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York
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44
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Compte M, Harwood SL, Erce-Llamazares A, Tapia-Galisteo A, Romero E, Ferrer I, Garrido-Martin EM, Enguita AB, Ochoa MC, Blanco B, Oteo M, Merino N, Nehme-Álvarez D, Hangiu O, Domínguez-Alonso C, Zonca M, Ramírez-Fernández A, Blanco FJ, Morcillo MA, Muñoz IG, Melero I, Rodriguez-Peralto JL, Paz-Ares L, Sanz L, Alvarez-Vallina L. An Fc-free EGFR-specific 4-1BB-agonistic Trimerbody Displays Broad Antitumor Activity in Humanized Murine Cancer Models without Toxicity. Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27:3167-3177. [PMID: 33785484 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-20-4625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The induction of 4-1BB signaling by agonistic antibodies can drive the activation and proliferation of effector T cells and thereby enhance a T-cell-mediated antitumor response. Systemic administration of anti-4-1BB-agonistic IgGs, although effective preclinically, has not advanced in clinical development due to their severe hepatotoxicity. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Here, we generated a humanized EGFR-specific 4-1BB-agonistic trimerbody, which replaces the IgG Fc region with a human collagen homotrimerization domain. It was characterized by structural analysis and in vitro functional studies. We also assessed pharmacokinetics, antitumor efficacy, and toxicity in vivo. RESULTS In the presence of a T-cell receptor signal, the trimerbody provided potent T-cell costimulation that was strictly dependent on 4-1BB hyperclustering at the point of contact with a tumor antigen-displaying cell surface. It exhibits significant antitumor activity in vivo, without hepatotoxicity, in a wide range of human tumors including colorectal and breast cancer cell-derived xenografts, and non-small cell lung cancer patient-derived xenografts associated with increased tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells. The combination of the trimerbody with a PD-L1 blocker led to increased IFNγ secretion in vitro and resulted in tumor regression in humanized mice bearing aggressive triple-negative breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate the nontoxic broad antitumor activity of humanized Fc-free tumor-specific 4-1BB-agonistic trimerbodies and their synergy with checkpoint blockers, which may provide a way to elicit responses in most patients with cancer while avoiding Fc-mediated adverse reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Compte
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Leadartis SL, Madrid, Spain
| | - Seandean L Harwood
- Immunotherapy and Cell Engineering Laboratory, Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ainhoa Erce-Llamazares
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Leadartis SL, Madrid, Spain.,Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Tapia-Galisteo
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduardo Romero
- Biomedical Applications and Pharmacokinetics Unit, Centro de investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain
| | - Irene Ferrer
- H12O-CNIO Lung Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), and Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Oncología (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva M Garrido-Martin
- H12O-CNIO Lung Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), and Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Oncología (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana B Enguita
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Pathology. Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria C Ochoa
- Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Belén Blanco
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Oteo
- Biomedical Applications and Pharmacokinetics Unit, Centro de investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain
| | - Nekane Merino
- Structural Biology Unit, CIC bioGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Derio, Spain
| | - Daniel Nehme-Álvarez
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Oana Hangiu
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Domínguez-Alonso
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuela Zonca
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Leadartis SL, Madrid, Spain
| | - Angel Ramírez-Fernández
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco J Blanco
- Structural and Chemical Biology Department, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CIB-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel A Morcillo
- Biomedical Applications and Pharmacokinetics Unit, Centro de investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ines G Muñoz
- Crystallography and Protein Engineering Unit, Structural Biology Programme, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Melero
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Oncología (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Department of Immunology, University Clinic, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - José L Rodriguez-Peralto
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Oncología (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Pathology. Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Cutaneous Oncology Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Paz-Ares
- H12O-CNIO Lung Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), and Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Oncología (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Sanz
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Alvarez-Vallina
- Immunotherapy and Cell Engineering Laboratory, Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. .,Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
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45
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Vukovic N, van Elsas A, Verbeek JS, Zaiss DMW. Isotype selection for antibody-based cancer therapy. Clin Exp Immunol 2021; 203:351-365. [PMID: 33155272 PMCID: PMC7874837 DOI: 10.1111/cei.13545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The clinical application of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has revolutionized the field of cancer therapy, as it has enabled the successful treatment of previously untreatable types of cancer. Different mechanisms play a role in the anti-tumour effect of mAbs. These include blocking of tumour-specific growth factor receptors or of immune modulatory molecules as well as complement and cell-mediated tumour cell lysis. Thus, for many mAbs, Fc-mediated effector functions critically contribute to the efficacy of treatment. As immunoglobulin (Ig) isotypes differ in their ability to bind to Fc receptors on immune cells as well as in their ability to activate complement, they differ in the immune responses they activate. Therefore, the choice of antibody isotype for therapeutic mAbs is dictated by its intended mechanism of action. Considering that clinical efficacy of many mAbs is currently achieved only in subsets of patients, optimal isotype selection and Fc optimization during antibody development may represent an important step towards improved patient outcome. Here, we discuss the current knowledge of the therapeutic effector functions of different isotypes and Fc-engineering strategies to improve mAbs application.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. Vukovic
- Institute of Immunology and Infection ResearchSchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of EdinburghAshworth LaboratoriesEdinburghUK
| | | | - J. S. Verbeek
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringToin University of YokohamaYokohamaJapan
| | - D. M. W. Zaiss
- Institute of Immunology and Infection ResearchSchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of EdinburghAshworth LaboratoriesEdinburghUK
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46
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Kucka K, Wajant H. Receptor Oligomerization and Its Relevance for Signaling by Receptors of the Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 8:615141. [PMID: 33644033 PMCID: PMC7905041 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.615141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
With the exception of a few signaling incompetent decoy receptors, the receptors of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF) are signaling competent and engage in signaling pathways resulting in inflammation, proliferation, differentiation, and cell migration and also in cell death induction. TNFRSF receptors (TNFRs) become activated by ligands of the TNF superfamily (TNFSF). TNFSF ligands (TNFLs) occur as trimeric type II transmembrane proteins but often also as soluble ligand trimers released from the membrane-bound form by proteolysis. The signaling competent TNFRs are efficiently activated by the membrane-bound TNFLs. The latter recruit three TNFR molecules, but there is growing evidence that this is not sufficient to trigger all aspects of TNFR signaling; rather, the formed trimeric TNFL–TNFR complexes have to cluster secondarily in the cell-to-cell contact zone for full TNFR activation. With respect to their response to soluble ligand trimers, the signaling competent TNFRs can be subdivided into two groups. TNFRs of one group, designated as category I TNFRs, are robustly activated by soluble ligand trimers. The receptors of a second group (category II TNFRs), however, failed to become properly activated by soluble ligand trimers despite high affinity binding. The limited responsiveness of category II TNFRs to soluble TNFLs can be overcome by physical linkage of two or more soluble ligand trimers or, alternatively, by anchoring the soluble ligand molecules to the cell surface or extracellular matrix. This suggests that category II TNFRs have a limited ability to promote clustering of trimeric TNFL–TNFR complexes outside the context of cell–cell contacts. In this review, we will focus on three aspects on the relevance of receptor oligomerization for TNFR signaling: (i) the structural factors which promote clustering of free and liganded TNFRs, (ii) the signaling pathway specificity of the receptor oligomerization requirement, and (iii) the consequences for the design and development of TNFR agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirstin Kucka
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Harald Wajant
- Division of Molecular Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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47
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McMillan D, Martinez-Fleites C, Porter J, Fox D, Davis R, Mori P, Ceska T, Carrington B, Lawson A, Bourne T, O'Connell J. Structural insights into the disruption of TNF-TNFR1 signalling by small molecules stabilising a distorted TNF. Nat Commun 2021; 12:582. [PMID: 33495441 PMCID: PMC7835368 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20828-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is a trimeric protein which signals through two membrane receptors, TNFR1 and TNFR2. Previously, we identified small molecules that inhibit human TNF by stabilising a distorted trimer and reduce the number of receptors bound to TNF from three to two. Here we present a biochemical and structural characterisation of the small molecule-stabilised TNF-TNFR1 complex, providing insights into how a distorted TNF trimer can alter signalling function. We demonstrate that the inhibitors reduce the binding affinity of TNF to the third TNFR1 molecule. In support of this, we show by X-ray crystallography that the inhibitor-bound, distorted, TNF trimer forms a complex with a dimer of TNFR1 molecules. This observation, along with data from a solution-based network assembly assay, leads us to suggest a model for TNF signalling based on TNF-TNFR1 clusters, which are disrupted by small molecule inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - David Fox
- UCB Pharma, Bainbridge Island, WA, 98110, USA
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48
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Lightwood DJ, Munro RJ, Porter J, McMillan D, Carrington B, Turner A, Scott-Tucker A, Hickford ES, Schmidt A, Fox D, Maloney A, Ceska T, Bourne T, O'Connell J, Lawson ADG. A conformation-selective monoclonal antibody against a small molecule-stabilised signalling-deficient form of TNF. Nat Commun 2021; 12:583. [PMID: 33495445 PMCID: PMC7835358 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20825-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
We have recently described the development of a series of small-molecule inhibitors of human tumour necrosis factor (TNF) that stabilise an open, asymmetric, signalling-deficient form of the soluble TNF trimer. Here, we describe the generation, characterisation, and utility of a monoclonal antibody that selectively binds with high affinity to the asymmetric TNF trimer-small molecule complex. The antibody helps to define the molecular dynamics of the apo TNF trimer, reveals the mode of action and specificity of the small molecule inhibitors, acts as a chaperone in solving the human TNF-TNFR1 complex crystal structure, and facilitates the measurement of small molecule target occupancy in complex biological samples. We believe this work defines a role for monoclonal antibodies as tools to facilitate the discovery and development of small-molecule inhibitors of protein-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John Porter
- UCB Pharma, 208 Bath Road, Slough, SL1 3WE, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - David Fox
- UCB Pharma, 7869 NE Day Road W, Bainbridge Island, WA, 98110, USA
| | | | - Tom Ceska
- UCB Pharma, 208 Bath Road, Slough, SL1 3WE, UK
| | - Tim Bourne
- UCB Pharma, 208 Bath Road, Slough, SL1 3WE, UK
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Honma M, Ikebuchi Y, Suzuki H. Mechanisms of RANKL delivery to the osteoclast precursor cell surface. J Bone Miner Metab 2021; 39:27-33. [PMID: 33047191 DOI: 10.1007/s00774-020-01157-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
RANKL is biosynthesized as a single-pass transmembrane protein, and soluble molecular species are produced by enzymatic cleavage at the cell surface. Recent studies have revealed that the transmembrane form of RANKL is a major contributor to the induction of mature osteoclasts under physiological conditions in vivo. In osteoblasts and osteocytes, most newly synthesized RANKL forms a protein complex with OPG and is selectively sorted to lysosomes. Only the small proportion of newly synthesized RANKL that does not form a complex with OPG is transported to the cell surface. Then, the transmembrane RANKL is delivered to the surface of osteoclast precursors to stimulate RANK, and induces the activation of a downstream signaling pathway. The ability of osteocytes to support the formation of mature osteoclasts appears to depend upon the amount of RANKL molecules present on their cell surfaces. However, the way in which osteocytes, which are embedded in the bone matrix, deliver transmembrane RANKL to the cell surfaces of osteoclast precursors, which are localized in the bone marrow cavity, remains to be elucidated. Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masashi Honma
- Department of Pharmacy, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
| | - Yuki Ikebuchi
- Department of Pharmacy, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Suzuki
- Department of Pharmacy, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
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Analysis of Ligand-Receptor Interactions Using Bioluminescent TNF Superfamily (TNFSF) Ligand Fusion Proteins. Methods Mol Biol 2020. [PMID: 33185876 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1130-2_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative analysis of the binding of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily ligands (TNFLs) to TNF receptor superfamily receptors (TNFRs) is of crucial relevance for the understanding of the mechanisms of TNFR activation. Ligand binding studies are also a basic method required for the development and characterization of agonists and antagonists of TNFRs. TNFL-induced formation of fully active TNFR signaling complexes is a complex process. It involves not only reorganization of monomeric and inactive pre-assembled TNFR complexes into trimeric liganded TNFR complexes but also the secondary interaction of the latter. Moreover, various factors, e.g., TNFR modification, special membrane domains, or accessory proteins, may affect TNFL-TNFR interactions in a TNFR type-specific manner. Widely used cell-free methods for the analysis of protein-protein interactions are thus of limited value for the analysis of TNFL-TNFR interactions and makes therefore in this case cellular binding studies to the method of choice. We and others observed that the genetic fusion of monomeric protein domains to the N-terminus of soluble TNFLs has typically no effect on activity and TNFR binding. We exploited this to generate bioluminescent TNFL fusion proteins which allow simple, sensitive, and highly reproducible cellular binding studies for the investigation of TNFL-TNFR interactions. Here, we report detailed protocols for the production of TNFL fusion proteins with the luciferase of Gaussia princeps and the use of these fusion proteins in various types of cellular binding studies.
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