Development of a Novel Epitope Mapping System: RIEDL Insertion for Epitope Mapping Method

Anti-CD44 Variant 10 Monoclonal Antibody Exerts Antitumor Activity in Mouse Xenograft Models of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas

CD44 regulates cell adhesion, proliferation, survival, and stemness and has been considered a tumor therapy target. CD44 possesses the shortest CD44 standard (CD44s) and a variety of CD44 variant (CD44v) isoforms. Since the expression of CD44v is restricted in epithelial cells and carcinomas compared to CD44s, CD44v has been considered a promising target for monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy. We previously developed an anti-CD44v10 mAb, C44Mab-18 (IgM, kappa), to recognize the variant exon 10-encoded region. In the present study, a mouse IgG2a version of C44Mab-18 (C44Mab-18-mG2a) was generated to evaluate the antitumor activities against CD44-positive cells compared with the previously established anti-pan CD44 mAb, C44Mab-46-mG2a. C44Mab-18-mG2a exhibited higher reactivity compared with C44Mab-46-mG2a to CD44v3-10-overexpressed CHO-K1 (CHO/CD44v3-10) and oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (HSC-2 and SAS) in flow cytometry. C44Mab-18-mG2a exerted a superior antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against CHO/CD44v3-10. In contrast, C44Mab-46-mG2a showed a superior complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) against CHO/CD44v3-10. A similar tendency was observed in ADCC and CDC against HSC-2 and SAS. Furthermore, administering C44Mab-18-mG2a or C44Mab-46-mG2a significantly suppressed CHO/CD44v3-10, HSC-2, and SAS xenograft tumor growth compared with the control mouse IgG2a. These results indicate that C44Mab-18-mG2a could be a promising therapeutic regimen for CD44v10-positive tumors.

Epitope Mapping of an Anti-CD44v4 Monoclonal Antibody (C44Mab-108) Using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

CD44 is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein and possesses various isoforms which are largely classified into CD44 standard (CD44s) and CD44 variant (CD44v) isoforms. Some variant-encoded regions play critical roles in tumor progression. However, the function of CD44 variant 4 (CD44v4)-encoded region has not been fully understood. Using peptide immunization, we developed an anti-CD44v4 monoclonal antibody, C44Mab-108, which is useful for flow cytometry, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. In this study, we determined the critical epitope of C44Mab-108 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We used the alanine (or glycine)-substituted peptides of the CD44v4-encoded region (amino acids 271-290 of human CD44v3-10) and found that C44Mab-108 did not recognize the alanine-substituted peptides of D280A and W281A. Furthermore, these peptides could not inhibit the recognition of C44Mab-108 in flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. The results indicate that the critical binding epitope of C44Mab-108 includes Asp280 and Trp281 of CD44v3-10.

Epitope Mapping of an Anti-Mouse CD39 Monoclonal Antibody Using PA Scanning and RIEDL Scanning

A cell-surface ectonucleotidase CD39 mediates the conversion of extracellular adenosine triphosphate into immunosuppressive adenosine with another ectonucleotidase CD73. The elevated adenosine in the tumor microenvironment attenuates antitumor immunity, which promotes tumor cell immunologic escape and progression. Anti-CD39 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which suppress the enzymatic activity, can be applied to antitumor therapy. Therefore, an understanding of the relationship between the inhibitory activity and epitope of mAbs is important. We previously established an anti-mouse CD39 (anti-mCD39) mAb, C39Mab-1 using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening method. In this study, we determined the critical epitope of C39Mab-1 using flow cytometry. We performed the PA tag (12 amino acids [aa])-substituted analysis (named PA scanning) and RIEDL tag (5 aa)-substituted analysis (named RIEDL scanning) to determine the critical epitope of C39Mab-1 using flow cytometry. By the combination of PA scanning and RIEDL scanning, we identified the conformational epitope, spanning three segments of 275-279, 282-291, and 306-323 aa of mCD39. These analyses would contribute to the identification of the conformational epitope of membrane proteins.

Development of a Novel Anti-CD44 Variant 8 Monoclonal Antibody C44Mab-94 against Gastric Carcinomas

Gastric cancer (GC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. GC with peritoneal metastasis exhibits a poor prognosis due to the lack of effective therapy. A comprehensive analysis of malignant ascites identified the genomic alterations and significant amplifications of cancer driver genes, including CD44. CD44 and its splicing variants are overexpressed in tumors, and play crucial roles in the acquisition of invasiveness, stemness, and resistance to treatments. Therefore, the development of CD44-targeted monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is important for GC diagnosis and therapy. In this study, we immunized mice with CD44v3-10-overexpressed PANC-1 cells and established several dozens of clones that produce anti-CD44v3-10 mAbs. One of the clones (C₄₄Mab-94; IgG₁, kappa) recognized the variant-8-encoded region and peptide, indicating that C₄₄Mab-94 is a specific mAb for CD44v8. Furthermore, C₄₄Mab-94 could recognize CHO/CD44v3-10 cells, oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line (HSC-3), or GC cell lines (MKN45 and NUGC-4) in flow cytometric analyses. C₄₄Mab-94 could detect the exogenous CD44v3-10 and endogenous CD44v8 in western blotting and stained the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded gastric cancer cells. These results indicate that C₄₄Mab-94 is useful for detecting CD44v8 in a variety of experimental methods and is expected to become usefully applied to GC diagnosis and therapy.

EMab-300 Detects Mouse Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Expressing Cancer Cell Lines in Flow Cytometry

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) overexpression or its mutation mediates the sustaining proliferative signaling, which is an important hallmark of cancer. Human EGFR-targeting monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy such as cetuximab has been approved for clinical use in patients with colorectal cancers and head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. A reliable preclinical mouse model is essential to further develop the mAb therapy against EGFR. Therefore, sensitive mAbs against mouse EGFR (mEGFR) should be established. In this study, we developed a specific and sensitive mAb for mEGFR using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS) method. The established anti-mEGFR mAb, EMab-300 (rat IgG₁, kappa), reacted with mEGFR-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO/mEGFR) and endogenously mEGFR-expressed cell lines, including NMuMG (a mouse mammary gland epithelial cell) and Lewis lung carcinoma cells, using flow cytometry. The kinetic analysis using flow cytometry indicated that the K_D of EMab-300 for CHO/mEGFR and NMuMG was 4.3 × 10^-8 M and 1.9 × 10^-8 M, respectively. These results indicated that EMab-300 applies to the detection of mEGFR using flow cytometry and may be useful to obtain the proof of concept in preclinical studies.

Establishment of a Novel Anti-CD44 Variant 10 Monoclonal Antibody C44Mab-18 for Immunohistochemical Analysis against Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common type of head and neck cancer, and has been revealed as the second-highest expression of CD44 in cancers. CD44 has been investigated as a cancer stem cell marker of HNSCC and plays a critical role in tumor malignant progression. Especially, splicing variant isoforms of CD44 (CD44v) are overexpressed in cancers and considered a promising target for cancer diagnosis and therapy. We developed monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against CD44 by immunizing mice with CD44v3-10-overexpressed PANC-1 cells. Among the established clones, C₄₄Mab-18 (IgM, kappa) reacted with CHO/CD44v3-10, but not with CHO/CD44s and parental CHO-K1 using flow cytometry. The epitope mapping using peptides that cover variant exon-encoded regions revealed that C₄₄Mab-18 recognized the border sequence between variant 10 and the constant exon 16-encoded sequence. These results suggest that C₄₄Mab-18 recognizes variant 10-containing CD44v, but not CD44s. Furthermore, C₄₄Mab-18 could recognize the human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell line, HSC-3, in flow cytometry. The apparent dissociation constant (K_D) of C₄₄Mab-18 for CHO/CD44v3-10 and HSC-3 was 1.6 × 10^-7 M and 1.7 × 10^-7 M, respectively. Furthermore, C₄₄Mab-18 detected CD44v3-10 but not CHO/CD44s in Western blotting, and endogenous CD44v10 in immunohistochemistry using OSCC tissues. These results indicate that C₄₄Mab-18 is useful for detecting CD44v10 in flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry.

A Novel Anti-CD44 Variant 3 Monoclonal Antibody C44Mab-6 Was Established for Multiple Applications

Cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) promotes tumor progression through the recruitment of growth factors and the acquisition of stemness, invasiveness, and drug resistance. CD44 has multiple isoforms including CD44 standard (CD44s) and CD44 variants (CD44v), which have common and unique functions in tumor development. Therefore, elucidating the function of each CD44 isoform in a tumor is essential for the establishment of CD44-targeting tumor therapy. We have established various anti-CD44s and anti-CD44v monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) through the immunization of CD44v3-10-overexpressed cells. In this study, we established C44Mab-6 (IgG1, kappa), which recognized the CD44 variant 3-encoded region (CD44v3), as determined via an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. C44Mab-6 reacted with CD44v3-10-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells (CHO/CD44v3-10) or some cancer cell lines (COLO205 and HSC-3) via flow cytometry. The apparent KD of C44Mab-6 for CHO/CD44v3-10, COLO205, and HSC-3 was 1.5 × 10-9 M, 6.3 × 10-9 M, and 1.9 × 10-9 M, respectively. C44Mab-6 could detect the CD44v3-10 in Western blotting and stained the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor sections in immunohistochemistry. These results indicate that C44Mab-6 is useful for detecting CD44v3 in various experiments and is expected for the application of tumor diagnosis and therapy.

Development of a Novel Anti-CD44 Variant 5 Monoclonal Antibody C44Mab-3 for Multiple Applications against Pancreatic Carcinomas

Pancreatic cancer exhibits a poor prognosis due to the lack of early diagnostic biomarkers and the resistance to conventional chemotherapy. CD44 has been known as a cancer stem cell marker and plays tumor promotion and drug resistance roles in various cancers. In particular, the splicing variants are overexpressed in many carcinomas and play essential roles in the cancer stemness, invasiveness or metastasis, and resistance to treatments. Therefore, the understanding of each CD44 variant's (CD44v) function and distribution in carcinomas is essential for the establishment of CD44-targeting tumor therapy. In this study, we immunized mice with CD44v3-10-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells and established various anti-CD44 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). One of the established clones (C₄₄Mab-3; IgG₁, kappa) recognized peptides of the variant-5-encoded region, indicating that C₄₄Mab-3 is a specific mAb for CD44v5. Moreover, C₄₄Mab-3 reacted with CHO/CD44v3-10 cells or pancreatic cancer cell lines (PK-1 and PK-8) by flow cytometry. The apparent K_D of C₄₄Mab-3 for CHO/CD44v3-10 and PK-1 was 1.3 × 10^-9 M and 2.6 × 10^-9 M, respectively. C₄₄Mab-3 could detect the exogenous CD44v3-10 and endogenous CD44v5 in Western blotting and stained the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded pancreatic cancer cells but not normal pancreatic epithelial cells in immunohistochemistry. These results indicate that C₄₄Mab-3 is useful for detecting CD44v5 in various applications and is expected to be useful for the application of pancreatic cancer diagnosis and therapy.

A Novel Anti-CD44 Variant 9 Monoclonal Antibody C44Mab-1 Was Developed for Immunohistochemical Analyses against Colorectal Cancers

Cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein and has been shown to be a cell surface marker of cancer stem-like cells in various cancers. In particular, the splicing variants of CD44 (CD44v) are overexpressed in cancers and play critical roles in cancer stemness, invasiveness, and resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Therefore, the understanding of the function of each CD44v is indispensable for CD44-targeting therapy. CD44v9 contains the variant 9-encoded region, and its expression predicts poor prognosis in patients with various cancers. CD44v9 plays critical roles in the malignant progression of tumors. Therefore, CD44v9 is a promising target for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Here, we developed sensitive and specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against CD44 by immunizing mice with CD44v3-10-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO/CD44v3-10) cells. We first determined their critical epitopes using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and characterized their applications as flow cytometry, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. One of the established clones, C44Mab-1 (IgG1, kappa), reacted with a peptide of the variant 9-encoded region, indicating that C44Mab-1 recognizes CD44v9. C44Mab-1 could recognize CHO/CD44v3-10 cells or colorectal cancer cell lines (COLO201 and COLO205) in flow cytometric analysis. The apparent dissociation constant (KD) of C44Mab-1 for CHO/CD44v3-10, COLO201, and COLO205 was 2.5 × 10-8 M, 3.3 × 10-8 M, and 6.5 × 10-8 M, respectively. Furthermore, C44Mab-1 was able to detect the CD44v3-10 in western blotting and the endogenous CD44v9 in immunohistochemistry using colorectal cancer tissues. These results indicated that C44Mab-1 is useful for detecting CD44v9 not only in flow cytometry or western blotting but also in immunohistochemistry against colorectal cancers.

Development of a Novel Anti-CD44 Variant 7/8 Monoclonal Antibody, C44Mab-34, for Multiple Applications against Oral Carcinomas

Cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) has been investigated as a cancer stem cell (CSC) marker as it plays critical roles in tumor malignant progression. The splicing variants are overexpressed in many carcinomas, especially squamous cell carcinomas, and play critical roles in the promotion of tumor metastasis, the acquisition of CSC properties, and resistance to treatments. Therefore, each CD44 variant (CD44v) function and distribution in carcinomas should be clarified for the establishment of novel tumor diagnosis and therapy. In this study, we immunized mouse with a CD44 variant (CD44v3–10) ectodomain and established various anti-CD44 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). One of the established clones (C44Mab-34; IgG1, kappa) recognized a peptide that covers both variant 7- and variant 8-encoded regions, indicating that C44Mab-34 is a specific mAb for CD44v7/8. Moreover, C44Mab-34 reacted with CD44v3–10-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO) cells or the oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell line (HSC-3) by flow cytometry. The apparent KD of C44Mab-34 for CHO/CD44v3–10 and HSC-3 was 1.4 × 10−9 and 3.2 × 10−9 M, respectively. C44Mab-34 could detect CD44v3–10 in Western blotting and stained the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded OSCC in immunohistochemistry. These results indicate that C44Mab-34 is useful for detecting CD44v7/8 in various applications and is expected to be useful in the application of OSCC diagnosis and therapy.

Development of a Novel Anti-CD44 Variant 6 Monoclonal Antibody C44Mab-9 for Multiple Applications against Colorectal Carcinomas

CD44 is a cell surface glycoprotein, and its isoforms are produced by the alternative splicing with the standard and variant exons. The CD44 variant exon-containing isoforms (CD44v) are overexpressed in carcinomas. CD44v6 is one of the CD44v, and its overexpression predicts poor prognosis in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. CD44v6 plays critical roles in CRC adhesion, proliferation, stemness, invasiveness, and chemoresistance. Therefore, CD44v6 is a promising target for cancer diagnosis and therapy for CRC. In this study, we established anti-CD44 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) by immunizing mice with CD44v3-10-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells. We then characterized them using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, flow cytometry, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. One of the established clones (C₄₄Mab-9; IgG₁, kappa) reacted with a peptide of the variant 6-encoded region, indicating that C₄₄Mab-9 recognizes CD44v6. Furthermore, C₄₄Mab-9 reacted with CHO/CD44v3-10 cells or CRC cell lines (COLO201 and COLO205) by flow cytometry. The apparent dissociation constant (K_D) of C₄₄Mab-9 for CHO/CD44v3-10, COLO201, and COLO205 was 8.1 × 10^-9 M, 1.7 × 10^-8 M, and 2.3 × 10^-8 M, respectively. C₄₄Mab-9 detected the CD44v3-10 in western blotting, and partially stained the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded CRC tissues in immunohistochemistry. Collectively, C₄₄Mab-9 is useful for detecting CD44v6 in various applications.

Antitumor activities of a defucosylated anti‑EpCAM monoclonal antibody in colorectal carcinoma xenograft models

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein, which is highly expressed on tumor cells. As EpCAM plays a crucial role in cell adhesion, survival, proliferation, stemness, and tumorigenesis, it has been considered as a promising target for tumor diagnosis and therapy. Anti‑EpCAM monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been developed and have previously demonstrated promising outcomes in several clinical trials. An anti‑EpCAM mAb, EpMab‑37 (mouse IgG₁, kappa) was previously developed by the authors, using the cell‑based immunization and screening method. In the present study, a defucosylated version of anti‑EpCAM mAb (EpMab‑37‑mG2a‑f) was generated to evaluate the antitumor activity against EpCAM‑positive cells. EpMab‑37‑mG_2a‑f recognized EpCAM‑overexpressing CHO‑K1 (CHO/EpCAM) cells with a moderate binding‑affinity [dissociation constant (K_D)=2.2x10^‑8 M] using flow cytometry. EpMab‑37‑mG_2a‑f exhibited potent antibody‑dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement‑dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) for CHO/EpCAM cells by murine splenocytes and complements, respectively. Furthermore, the administration of EpMab‑37‑mG_2a‑f significantly suppressed CHO/EpCAM xenograft tumor development compared with the control mouse IgG. EpMab‑37‑mG_2a‑f also exhibited a moderate binding‑affinity (K_D=1.5x10^‑8 M) and high ADCC and CDC activities for a colorectal cancer cell line (Caco‑2 cells). The administration of EpMab‑37‑mG_2a‑f to Caco‑2 tumor‑bearing mice significantly suppressed tumor development compared with the control. By contrast, EpMab‑37‑mG_2a‑f never suppressed the xenograft tumor growth of Caco‑2 cells in which EpCAM was knocked out. On the whole, these results indicate that EpMab‑37‑mG_2a‑f may exert antitumor activities against EpCAM‑positive cancers and may thus be a promising therapeutic regimen for colorectal cancer.

Development of Monoclonal Antibody 281-mG2a-f Against Golden Hamster Podoplanin

Golden (Syrian) hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) is a small animal model of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. Pathological analyses of the tissues are required to understand the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and the evaluation of therapeutic modalities, including neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). However, mAbs that recognize the golden hamster-derived antigens and distinguish specific cell types, such as the pneumocytes, are limited. Podoplanin (PDPN) is an essential marker of lung type I alveolar epithelial cells, kidney podocytes, and lymphatic endothelial cells. In this study, an anti-Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus) PDPN mAb PMab-281 (IgG₃, kappa) was established using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS) method. A defucosylated mouse IgG_2a version of PMab-281 (281-mG_2a-f) was also developed. The 281-mG_2a-f strongly recognized both the Chinese hamster and the golden hamster PDPN using flow cytometry and could detect lung type I alveolar epithelial cells, lymphatic endothelial cells, and Bowman's capsules in the kidney from the golden hamster using immunohistochemistry. These results suggest the usefulness of 281-mG_2a-f for analyzing the golden hamster-derived tissues and cells for SARS-CoV-2 research.

Defucosylated mouse‑dog chimeric anti‑HER2 monoclonal antibody exerts antitumor activities in mouse xenograft models of canine tumors

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression has been reported in various types of cancer, including breast, gastric, lung, colorectal and pancreatic cancer. A humanized anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody (mAb), trastuzumab, has been shown to improve survival of patients in HER2-positive breast and gastric cancer. An anti-HER2 mAb, H₂Mab-77 (mouse IgG₁, kappa) was previously developed. In the present study, a defucosylated version of mouse-dog chimeric anti-HER2 mAb (H77Bf) was generated. H77Bf possesses a high binding-affinity [a dissociation constant (K_D): 7.5×10⁻¹⁰ M, as determined by flow cytometric analysis] for dog HER2-overexpressed CHO-K1 (CHO/dHER2) cells. H77Bf highly exerted antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) for CHO/dHER2 cells by canine mononuclear cells and complement, respectively. Moreover, administration of H77Bf significantly suppressed the development of CHO/dHER2 ×enograft tumor in mice compared with the control dog IgG. H77Bf also possesses a high binding-affinity (K_D: 7.2×10⁻¹⁰ M) for a canine mammary gland tumor cell line (SNP), and showed high ADCC and CDC activities for SNP cells. Intraperitoneal administration of H77Bf in mouse xenograft models of SNP significantly suppressed the development of SNP xenograft tumors compared with the control dog IgG. These results indicated that H77Bf exerts antitumor activities against dHER2-positive canine cancers, and could be valuable treatment regimen for canine cancers.

Development of a Novel Anti-EpCAM Monoclonal Antibody for Various Applications

The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a cell surface glycoprotein, which is widely expressed on normal and cancer cells. EpCAM is involved in cell adhesion, proliferation, survival, stemness, and tumorigenesis. Therefore, EpCAM is thought to be a promising target for cancer diagnosis and therapy. In this study, we established anti-EpCAM monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS) method. We characterized them using flow cytometry, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. One of the established recombinant anti-EpCAM mAbs, recEpMab-37 (mouse IgG₁, kappa), reacted with EpCAM-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 cells (CHO/EpCAM) or a colorectal carcinoma cell line (Caco-2). In contrast, recEpMab-37 did not react with EpCAM-knocked out Caco-2 cells. The K_D of recEpMab-37 for CHO/EpCAM and Caco-2 was 2.0 × 10⁻⁸ M and 3.2 × 10⁻⁸ M, respectively. We observed that EpCAM amino acids between 144 to 164 are involved in recEpMab-37 binding. In Western blot analysis, recEpMab-37 detected the EpCAM of CHO/EpCAM and Caco-2 cells. Furthermore, recEpMab-37 could stain formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded colorectal carcinoma tissues by immunohistochemistry. Taken together, recEpMab-37, established by the CBIS method, is useful for detecting EpCAM in various applications.

Epitope Mapping of the Anti-Human CCR2 Monoclonal Antibody C2Mab-9

CC chemokine receptor type-2 (CCR2) belongs to the G protein-coupled receptors superfamily, localized on cell surface of some immune-related cells, including monocytes and macrophages. CCR2 and its ligand CCL2 are involved in the progression of various diseases such as cancers. Therefore, CCR2-targeted monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are needed for treatment and diagnosis. Previously, we successfully developed an anti-human CCR2 (hCCR2) mAb, C₂Mab-9 (mouse IgG₁, kappa), which is applicable for flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. In this study, we investigated the critical epitope of C₂Mab-9. We conducted enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using several N-terminal peptides of hCCR2, and demonstrated that C₂Mab-9 recognizes 11-29 and 21-39 amino acids of hCCR2. We further performed ELISA using 20 peptides, which include alanine substitution of hCCR2. C₂Mab-9 lost the reaction to the alanine-substituted peptides of F23A, F24A, D25A, Y26A, and D27A. Among them, F23A, F24A, D25A, and Y26A did not block the C₂Mab-9 reaction with U937 cells in flow cytometry. These results indicate that the critical binding epitope of C₂Mab-9 includes Phe23, Phe24, Asp25, and Tyr26.

Development of a Monoclonal Antibody PMab-292 Against Ferret Podoplanin

Ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) have been used as small animal models to investigate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses (SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) infections. Pathological analyses of these tissue samples, including those of the lung, are, therefore, essential to understand the pathogenesis of SARS-CoVs and evaluate the action of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against this disease. However, mAbs that recognize ferret-derived proteins and distinguish between specific cell types, such as lung epithelial cells, are limited. Podoplanin (PDPN) has been identified as an essential marker in lung type I alveolar epithelial cells, kidney podocytes, and lymphatic endothelial cells. In this study, an anti-ferret PDPN (ferPDPN) mAb PMab-292 (mouse IgG₁, kappa) was established using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS) method. PMab-292 recognized ferPDPN-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO/ferPDPN) cells by flow cytometry and Western blotting. The kinetic analysis using flow cytometry showed that the K_D of PMab-292 for CHO/ferPDPN was 3.4 × 10^-8 M. Furthermore, PMab-292 detected lung type I alveolar epithelial cells, lymphatic endothelial cells, and glomerular/Bowman's capsule in the kidney using immunohistochemistry. Hence, these results propose the usefulness of PMab-292 in analyzing ferret-derived tissues for SARS-CoV-2 research.

Epitope Mapping of an Anti-CD20 Monoclonal Antibody (C20Mab-60) Using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

CD20 is a glycosylated transmembrane protein and is expressed on normal B cells and B cell malignancies. Therapeutic antibodies against CD20 are developed and used in clinic. The understanding of antibody-antigen binding by revealing the epitope is essential for future application to antibody technology. Previously, we developed an anti-human CD20 monoclonal antibody, C₂₀Mab-60 (IgG_2a, kappa), using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS). C₂₀Mab-60 can be used for flow cytometry, Western blot, and immunohistochemical analyses. In this study, we examined the critical epitope of C₂₀Mab-60 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with synthesized peptides. We performed ELISA with deletion mutants, and C₂₀Mab-60 reacted to the 160-179 amino acids sequence of CD20. Next, we analyzed the reaction to 20 point mutants, and C₂₀Mab-60 did not recognize the alanine-substituted peptides of N171A, P172A, S173A, and E174A. The results indicate that the binding epitope of C₂₀Mab-60, developed by CBIS, includes Asn171, Pro172, Ser173, and Glu174 of CD20.