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Identification of coagulation factor IX variants with enhanced activity through ancestral sequence reconstruction. Blood Adv 2021; 5:3333-3343. [PMID: 34477814 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2021004742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Orthologous proteins contain sequence disparity guided by natural selection. In certain cases, species-specific protein functionality predicts pharmacological enhancement, such as greater specific activity or stability. However, immunological barriers generally preclude use of nonhuman proteins as therapeutics, and difficulty exists in the identification of individual sequence determinants among the overall sequence disparity. Ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) represents a platform for the prediction and resurrection of ancient gene and protein sequences. Recently, we demonstrated that ASR can be used as a platform to facilitate the identification of therapeutic protein variants with enhanced properties. Specifically, we identified coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) variants with improved specific activity, biosynthesis, stability, and resistance to anti-human FVIII antibody-based inhibition. In the current study, we resurrected a panel of ancient mammalian coagulation factor IX (FIX) variants with the goal of identifying improved pharmaceutical candidates. One variant (An96) demonstrated 12-fold greater FIX activity production than human FIX. Addition of the R338L Padua substitution further increased An96 activity, suggesting independent but additive mechanisms. after adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2)/8-FIX gene therapy, 10-fold greater plasma FIX activity was observed in hemophilia B mice administered AAV2/8-An96-Padua as compared with AAV2/8-human FIX-Padua. Furthermore, phenotypic correction conferred by the ancestral variant was confirmed using a saphenous vein bleeding challenge and thromboelastography. Collectively, these findings validate the ASR drug discovery platform as well as identify an ancient FIX candidate for pharmaceutical development.
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Cid R, Bolívar J. Platforms for Production of Protein-Based Vaccines: From Classical to Next-Generation Strategies. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1072. [PMID: 34439738 PMCID: PMC8394948 DOI: 10.3390/biom11081072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, vaccination has become one of the most effective strategies to control and reduce infectious diseases, preventing millions of deaths worldwide. The earliest vaccines were developed as live-attenuated or inactivated pathogens, and, although they still represent the most extended human vaccine types, they also face some issues, such as the potential to revert to a pathogenic form of live-attenuated formulations or the weaker immune response associated with inactivated vaccines. Advances in genetic engineering have enabled improvements in vaccine design and strategies, such as recombinant subunit vaccines, have emerged, expanding the number of diseases that can be prevented. Moreover, antigen display systems such as VLPs or those designed by nanotechnology have improved the efficacy of subunit vaccines. Platforms for the production of recombinant vaccines have also evolved from the first hosts, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, to insect or mammalian cells. Traditional bacterial and yeast systems have been improved by engineering and new systems based on plants or insect larvae have emerged as alternative, low-cost platforms. Vaccine development is still time-consuming and costly, and alternative systems that can offer cost-effective and faster processes are demanding to address infectious diseases that still do not have a treatment and to face possible future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Cid
- ADL Bionatur Solutions S.A., Av. del Desarrollo Tecnológico 11, 11591 Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
| | - Jorge Bolívar
- Department of Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health-Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Campus Universitario de Puerto Real, University of Cadiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
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Zayed H. Vaccine Development Against COVID-19 Prior to Pandemic Outbreaks, Using in vitro Evolution and Reverse Genetics. Front Immunol 2020; 11:2051. [PMID: 32922408 PMCID: PMC7456802 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.02051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hatem Zayed
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
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Mohammadian O, Rajabibazl M, Pourmaleki E, Bayat H, Ahani R, Rahimpour A. Development of an improved lentiviral based vector system for the stable expression of monoclonal antibody in CHO cells. Prep Biochem Biotechnol 2019; 49:822-829. [PMID: 31156045 DOI: 10.1080/10826068.2019.1621893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have become the dominant products in biopharmaceutical industry. Mammalian cell expression systems including Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the most commonly used hosts for the production of complex recombinant proteins. However, development of stable, high producing CHO cell lines suffers from the low expression level and instability of the transgene. The increasing efforts in the development of novel therapeutic antibodies and the advent of biosimilars have revealed the necessity for the development of improved platforms for rapid production of products for initial characterization and testing. In line with this premise, vector design and engineering has been applied to improve the expression level and stability of the transgene. This study reports the application of an improved lentiviral vector system containing the human interferon-β scaffold attachment region (IFN-SAR) for the development of antibody producing stable CHO cells. mAb expressing clones producing 1100 µg/L of IgG1 monoclonal antibody were isolated without extensive screening of a large number of clones. Our results here indicate the positive effects of IFN-SAR on stable mAb expression using lentiviral based expression vectors. We also observed that although IFN-SAR can improve light chain (LC) and heavy chain (HC) gene copy numbers in stable cell pools, mAb expression in single cell clones was not affected by the transgene copy number.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omid Mohammadian
- a Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - Masoumeh Rajabibazl
- a Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.,b Nano-Technology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - Es'hagh Pourmaleki
- b Nano-Technology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.,c Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - Hadi Bayat
- b Nano-Technology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.,d Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University , Tehran , Iran
| | - Roshanak Ahani
- b Nano-Technology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - Azam Rahimpour
- b Nano-Technology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.,c Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
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Hunter M, Yuan P, Vavilala D, Fox M. Optimization of Protein Expression in Mammalian Cells. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 95:e77. [DOI: 10.1002/cpps.77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Vink CA, Counsell JR, Perocheau DP, Karda R, Buckley SMK, Brugman MH, Galla M, Schambach A, McKay TR, Waddington SN, Howe SJ. Eliminating HIV-1 Packaging Sequences from Lentiviral Vector Proviruses Enhances Safety and Expedites Gene Transfer for Gene Therapy. Mol Ther 2017; 25:1790-1804. [PMID: 28550974 PMCID: PMC5542766 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2017.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2016] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Lentiviral vector genomic RNA requires sequences that partially overlap wild-type HIV-1 gag and env genes for packaging into vector particles. These HIV-1 packaging sequences constitute 19.6% of the wild-type HIV-1 genome and contain functional cis elements that potentially compromise clinical safety. Here, we describe the development of a novel lentiviral vector (LTR1) with a unique genomic structure designed to prevent transfer of HIV-1 packaging sequences to patient cells, thus reducing the total HIV-1 content to just 4.8% of the wild-type genome. This has been achieved by reconfiguring the vector to mediate reverse-transcription with a single strand transfer, instead of the usual two, and in which HIV-1 packaging sequences are not copied. We show that LTR1 vectors offer improved safety in their resistance to remobilization in HIV-1 particles and reduced frequency of splicing into human genes. Following intravenous luciferase vector administration to neonatal mice, LTR1 sustained a higher level of liver transgene expression than an equivalent dose of a standard lentivirus. LTR1 vectors produce reverse-transcription products earlier and start to express transgenes significantly quicker than standard lentiviruses after transduction. Finally, we show that LTR1 is an effective lentiviral gene therapy vector as demonstrated by correction of a mouse hemophilia B model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conrad A Vink
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - John R Counsell
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK; Gene Transfer Technology Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London WC1E 6HX, UK.
| | - Dany P Perocheau
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London WC1E 6HX, UK
| | - Rajvinder Karda
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London WC1E 6HX, UK
| | - Suzanne M K Buckley
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London WC1E 6HX, UK
| | - Martijn H Brugman
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Melanie Galla
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Axel Schambach
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Tristan R McKay
- School of Healthcare Science, John Dalton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester Street, Manchester M15 6BH, UK
| | - Simon N Waddington
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London WC1E 6HX, UK; MRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa
| | - Steven J Howe
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK; Gene Transfer Technology Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London WC1E 6HX, UK
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Shestopal SA, Hao JJ, Karnaukhova E, Liang Y, Ovanesov MV, Lin M, Kurasawa JH, Lee TK, Mcvey JH, Sarafanov AG. Expression and characterization of a codon-optimized blood coagulation factor VIII. J Thromb Haemost 2017; 15:709-720. [PMID: 28109042 DOI: 10.1111/jth.13632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Essentials Recombinant factor VIII (FVIII) is known to be expressed at a low level in cell culture. To increase expression, we used codon-optimization of a B-domain deleted FVIII (BDD-FVIII). This resulted in 7-fold increase of the expression level in cell culture. The biochemical properties of codon-optimized BDD-FVIII were similar to the wild-type protein. SUMMARY Background Production of recombinant factor VIII (FVIII) is challenging because of its low expression. It was previously shown that codon-optimization of a B-domain-deleted FVIII (BDD-FVIII) cDNA resulted in increased protein expression. However, it is well recognized that synonymous mutations may affect the protein structure and function. Objectives To compare biochemical properties of a BDD-FVIII variants expressed from codon-optimized and wild-type cDNAs (CO and WT, respectively). Methods Each variant of the BDD-FVIII was expressed in several independent Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines, generated using a lentiviral platform. The proteins were purified by two-step affinity chromatography and analyzed in parallel by PAGE-western blot, mass spectrometry, circular dichroism, surface plasmon resonance, and chromogenic, clotting and thrombin generation assays. Results and conclusion The average yield of the CO was 7-fold higher than WT, whereas both proteins were identical in the amino acid sequences (99% coverage) and very similar in patterns of the molecular fragments (before and after thrombin cleavage), glycosylation and tyrosine sulfation, secondary structures and binding to von Willebrand factor and to a fragment of the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1. The CO preparations had on average 1.5-fold higher FVIII specific activity (activity normalized to protein mass) than WT preparations, which was attributed to better preservation of the CO structure as a result of considerably higher protein concentrations during the production. We concluded that the codon-optimization of the BDD-FVIII resulted in significant increase of its expression and did not affect the structure-function properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Shestopal
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - J-J Hao
- Poochon Scientific, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - E Karnaukhova
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Y Liang
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - M V Ovanesov
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - M Lin
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - J H Kurasawa
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - T K Lee
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - J H Mcvey
- School of Biosciences and Medicine, University of Surrey, Surrey, UK
| | - A G Sarafanov
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
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Recombinant protein production from stable mammalian cell lines and pools. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2016; 38:129-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Büssow K. Stable mammalian producer cell lines for structural biology. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2015; 32:81-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2015.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2014] [Revised: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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