Investigating the structure of the factor B vWF-A domain/CD55 protein-protein complex using DEER spectroscopy: successes and pitfalls

A structure-based approach for the development of a bicyclic peptide acting as a miniaturized anti-CD55 antibody

CD55 is a major regulator of the complement system, a complex network of proteins that cooperate to clear tissue and blood pathogens from the organism. Indeed, overexpression of CD55 is associated with many diseases and is connected to the resistance mechanisms exhibited by several cancers towards immunotherapy approaches. High level of CD55 expression on tumour cells renders it a good target for both imaging and immunotherapy. Indeed, a conceivable approach to tackle disease is to interfere with CD55-mediated complement regulation with the use of CD55-targeting antibodies. However, the large size and poor tissue penetration together with to the high costs of antibodies often limits their widespread therapeutic use. Here, we employed bioinformatic and chemical approaches to design and synthesize molecules of small dimensions able to mimic a CD55 blocking antibody. As a result, a bicyclic peptide, named as miniAB55, proved to bind CD55 with nanomolar affinity. This molecule represents an attracting chemical scaffold for CD55-directed diagnostic tools in diseases associated with CD55 overproduction. To further support the applicative potential of miniAB55, we prove that the miniAB55 binds CD55 on the same region involved in inactivation of the complement C3 and C5 convertases, thus opening promising scenarios for the development of complement-modulating tools.