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Politch JA, Cu-Uvin S, Moench TR, Tashima KT, Marathe JG, Guthrie KM, Cabral H, Nyhuis T, Brennan M, Zeitlin L, Spiegel HML, Mayer KH, Whaley KJ, Anderson DJ. Safety, acceptability, and pharmacokinetics of a monoclonal antibody-based vaginal multipurpose prevention film (MB66): A Phase I randomized trial. PLoS Med 2021; 18:e1003495. [PMID: 33534791 PMCID: PMC7857576 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND MB66 film is a multipurpose prevention technology (MPT) product with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against HIV-1 (VRC01-N) and HSV-1 and 2 (HSV8-N). The mAbs were produced by transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana (N). We conducted a Phase I clinical trial to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and ex vivo efficacy of single and repeated doses of MB66 when used intravaginally. METHODS AND FINDINGS The clinical trial enrolled healthy reproductive-aged, sexually abstinent women. In Segment A, 9 women received a single MB66 film which was inserted into the vaginal posterior fornix by a clinician. In Segment B, 29 women were randomly assigned to MB66 (Active) or Placebo film groups and were instructed to insert 1 film vaginally for 7 consecutive days. Visits and clinical sampling occurred predose and at various time points after single and repeated film doses. The primary endpoint was number of adverse events (AEs) Grade 2 or higher related to product use. Secondary endpoints included film dissolution rate, Nugent score (a Gram stain scoring system to diagnose bacterial vaginosis), vaginal pH, post-use survey results, cytokine concentrations in cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) specimens (assessed by Luminex assay), mAb concentrations in vaginal fluid collected from 4 sites (assessed by ELISA), and HIV and HSV neutralization activity of CVL samples ex vivo (assessed by TZM-bl and plaque reduction assay, respectively). The product was generally safe and well tolerated, with no serious AEs recorded in either segment. The AEs in this study were primarily genitourinary in nature with the most commonly reported AE being asymptomatic microscopic hematuria. There were no differences in vaginal pH or Nugent scores or significant increases in levels of proinflammatory cytokines for up to 7 days after film insertion in either segment or between Active and Placebo groups. Acceptability and willingness to use the product were judged to be high by post-use surveys. Concentrations of VRC01-N and HSV8-N in vaginal secretions were assessed over time to generate pharmacokinetic curves. Antibody levels peaked 1 hour postdosing with Active film (median: 35 μg/mL) and remained significantly elevated at 24 hours post first and seventh film (median: 1.8 μg/mL). Correcting for sample dilution (1:20), VRC01-N concentrations ranged from 36 to 700 μg/mL at the 24-hour time point, greater than 100-fold the IC50 for VRC01 (0.32 μg/mL); HSV8-N concentrations ranged from 80 to 601 μg/mL, well above the IC50 of 0.1 μg/m. CVL samples collected 24 hours after MB66 insertion significantly neutralized both HIV-1 and HSV-2 ex vivo. Study limitations include the small size of the study cohort, and the fact that no samples were collected between 24 hours and 7 days for pharmacokinetic evaluation. CONCLUSIONS Single and repeated intravaginal applications of MB66 film were safe, well tolerated, and acceptable. Concentrations and ex vivo bioactivity of both mAbs in vaginal secretions were significantly elevated and thus could provide protection for at least 24 hours postdose. However, further research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of MB66 film in women at risk for HIV and HSV infection. Additional antibodies could be added to this platform to provide protection against other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and contraception. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02579083.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A. Politch
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Susan Cu-Uvin
- Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Thomas R. Moench
- Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc., San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Karen T. Tashima
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Jai G. Marathe
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Kate M. Guthrie
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Howard Cabral
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Tara Nyhuis
- Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc., San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Miles Brennan
- Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc., San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Larry Zeitlin
- Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc., San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Hans M. L. Spiegel
- Kelly Government Solutions, Contractor to National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Kenneth H. Mayer
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Kevin J. Whaley
- Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc., San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Deborah J. Anderson
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Barbuddhe SB, Rawool DB, Gaonkar PP, Vergis J, Dhama K, Malik SS. Global scenario, public health concerns and mitigation strategies to counter current ongoing SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 pandemic. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2020; 16:3023-3033. [PMID: 33121328 PMCID: PMC7605515 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1810496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus- 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has posed a great public health threat to the global community as a pandemic. The origin of the virus has been linked to animals, through a yet-to-be-identified intermediate host. The disease is transmitted to humans mainly through inhalation or contact with infected droplets. The variable clinical presentation of COVID-19 includes fever, cough, sore throat, breathlessness, fatigue and malaise; however, cutaneous, ocular, neurological, and gastrointestinal manifestations have also been reported. There is an urgent need to strengthen One Health surveillance, intervention, and management strategies to understand the ecology of coronaviruses and to prevent epidemics in the future. Global attention toward the development of treatments, immunotherapies, vaccines, and control options to combat the COVID-19 pandemic has been on an increasing trend. Here, we review the current epidemiological status, public health concerns, and mitigation strategies for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jess Vergis
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Wayanad, India
| | - Kuldeep Dhama
- Division of Pathology, ICAR- Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, India
| | - Satyaveer Singh Malik
- Division of Veterinary Public Health, ICAR- Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, India
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Spiegel H, Boes A, Perales Morales C, Rademacher T, Buyel JF. Ready-to-Use Stocks of Agrobacterium tumefaciens Can Simplify Process Development for the Production of Recombinant Proteins by Transient Expression in Plants. Biotechnol J 2019; 14:e1900113. [PMID: 31218827 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201900113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale automated transient protein expression in plants requires the synchronization of cultivation and bacterial fermentation, especially if more than one bacterial strain. Therefore, a ready-to-use approach that decouples bacterial fermentation and infiltration is developed. It is found that bacterial cultures can easily be reconstituted in infiltration medium at a user-defined time, optical density, and quantity. This allows the process flow to be staggered, avoiding bottlenecks in process capacity and labor. Using the red fluorescent protein, DsRed, as a model product, the ready-to-use preparations achieved the same yields in infiltrated plant biomass as Agrobacterium tumefaciens derived from regular fermentations. It is possible to store the ready-to-use stocks at -20 °C and -80 °C for more than two months without loss of activity. Using a consolidated cost model for the current fermentation process, it is found that the ready-to-use strategy can reduce operational costs by 20-95% and investment costs by up to 75%, which would otherwise offset the economic advantages of plants over mammalian expression systems during upstream production. Furthermore, the staggered cultivation of plants and bacteria reduces the likelihood of batch failure and thus increases the robustness and flexibility of transient expression for the production of recombinant proteins in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Spiegel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstraße 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Alexander Boes
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstraße 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Camil Perales Morales
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstraße 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Thomas Rademacher
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstraße 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Johannes F Buyel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstraße 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
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Komarova TV, Sheshukova EV, Dorokhov YL. Plant-Made Antibodies: Properties and Therapeutic Applications. Curr Med Chem 2019; 26:381-395. [PMID: 29231134 DOI: 10.2174/0929867325666171212093257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A cost-effective plant platform for therapeutic monoclonal antibody production is both flexible and scalable. Plant cells have mechanisms for protein synthesis and posttranslational modification, including glycosylation, similar to those in animal cells. However, plants produce less complex and diverse Asn-attached glycans compared to animal cells and contain plant-specific residues. Nevertheless, plant-made antibodies (PMAbs) could be advantageous compared to those produced in animal cells due to the absence of a risk of contamination from nucleic acids or proteins of animal origin. OBJECTIVE In this review, the various platforms of PMAbs production are described, and the widely used transient expression system based on Agrobacterium-mediated delivery of genetic material into plant cells is discussed in detail. RESULTS We examined the features of and approaches to humanizing the Asn-linked glycan of PMAbs. The prospects for PMAbs in the prevention and treatment of human infectious diseases have been illustrated by promising results with PMAbs against human immunodeficiency virus, rotavirus infection, human respiratory syncytial virus, rabies, anthrax and Ebola virus. The pre-clinical and clinical trials of PMAbs against different types of cancer, including lymphoma and breast cancer, are addressed. CONCLUSION PMAb biosafety assessments in patients suggest that it has no side effects, although this does not completely remove concerns about the potential immunogenicity of some plant glycans in humans. Several PMAbs at various developmental stages have been proposed. Promise for the clinical use of PMAbs is aimed at the treatment of viral and bacterial infections as well as in anti-cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana V Komarova
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics Russian Academy of Sciences 119991, Moscow, Russian Federation.,A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Ekaterina V Sheshukova
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics Russian Academy of Sciences 119991, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Yuri L Dorokhov
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics Russian Academy of Sciences 119991, Moscow, Russian Federation.,A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russian Federation
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Diamos AG, Mason HS. Modifying the Replication of Geminiviral Vectors Reduces Cell Death and Enhances Expression of Biopharmaceutical Proteins in Nicotiana benthamiana Leaves. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 9:1974. [PMID: 30687368 PMCID: PMC6333858 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Plants are a promising platform to produce biopharmaceutical proteins, however, the toxic nature of some proteins inhibits their accumulation. We previously created a replicating geminiviral expression system based on bean yellow dwarf virus (BeYDV) that enables very high-level production of recombinant proteins. To study the role of replication in this system, we generated vectors that allow separate and controlled expression of BeYDV Rep and RepA proteins. We show that the ratio of Rep and RepA strongly affects the efficiency of replication. Rep, RepA, and vector replication all elicit the plant hypersensitive response, resulting in cell death. We find that a modest reduction in expression of Rep and RepA reduces plant leaf cell death which, despite reducing the accumulation of viral replicons, increases target protein accumulation. A single nucleotide change in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) reduced Rep/RepA expression, reduced cell death, and enhanced the production of monoclonal antibodies. We also find that replicating vectors achieve optimal expression with lower Agrobacterium concentrations than non-replicating vectors, further reducing cell death. Viral UTRs are also shown to contribute substantially to cell death, while a native plant-derived 5' UTR does not.
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Howell KA, Brannan JM, Bryan C, McNeal A, Davidson E, Turner HL, Vu H, Shulenin S, He S, Kuehne A, Herbert AS, Qiu X, Doranz BJ, Holtsberg FW, Ward AB, Dye JM, Aman MJ. Cooperativity Enables Non-neutralizing Antibodies to Neutralize Ebolavirus. Cell Rep 2017; 19:413-424. [PMID: 28402862 PMCID: PMC6082427 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.03.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug combinations are synergistic when their combined efficacy exceeds the sum of the individual actions, but they rarely include ineffective drugs that become effective only in combination. We identified several “enabling pairs” of neutralizing and non-neutralizing anti-ebolavirus monoclonal antibodies, whose combination exhibited new functional profiles, including transforming a non-neutralizing antibody to a neutralizer. Sub-neutralizing concentrations of antibodies 2G4 or m8C4 enabled non-neutralizing antibody FVM09 (IC50 >1 μM) to exhibit potent neutralization (IC50 1–10 nM). While FVM09 or m8C4 alone failed to protect Ebola-virus-infected mice, a combination of the two antibodies provided 100% protection. Furthermore, non-neutralizers FVM09 and FVM02 exponentially enhanced the potency of two neutralizing antibodies against both Ebola and Sudan viruses. We identified a hotspot for the binding of these enabling antibody pairs near the interface of the glycan cap and GP2. Enabling cooperativity may be an underappreciated phenomenon for viruses, with implications for the design and development of immunotherapeutics and vaccines. We describe cooperative neutralization and in vivo protection Cooperativity turns non-neutralizing ebolavirus antibodies into potent neutralizers A hotspot for antibody cooperativity identified on Ebola virus glycoprotein
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie A Howell
- Integrated BioTherapeutics, Inc., Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Jennifer M Brannan
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702-5011, USA
| | | | | | | | - Hannah L Turner
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Hong Vu
- Integrated BioTherapeutics, Inc., Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | | | - Shihua He
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3R2, Canada; Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada
| | - Ana Kuehne
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702-5011, USA
| | - Andrew S Herbert
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702-5011, USA
| | - Xiangguo Qiu
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3R2, Canada; Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada
| | | | | | - Andrew B Ward
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - John M Dye
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702-5011, USA
| | - M Javad Aman
- Integrated BioTherapeutics, Inc., Rockville, MD 20850, USA.
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Komarova TV, Sheshukova EV, Kosobokova EN, Serebryakova MV, Kosorukov VS, Tashlitsky VN, Dorokhov YL. Trastuzumab and Pertuzumab Plant Biosimilars: Modification of Asn297-linked Glycan of the mAbs Produced in a Plant with Fucosyltransferase and Xylosyltransferase Gene Knockouts. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2017; 82:510-520. [PMID: 28371609 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297917040137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Plant biosimilars of anticancer therapeutic antibodies are of interest not only because of the prospects of their practical use, but also as an instrument and object for study of plant protein glycosylation. In this work, we first designed a pertuzumab plant biosimilar (PPB) and investigated the composition of its Asn297-linked glycan in comparison with trastuzumab plant biosimilar (TPB). Both biosimilars were produced in wild-type (WT) Nicotiana benthamiana plant (PPB-WT and TPB-WT) and transgenic ΔXTFT N. benthamiana plant with XT and FT genes knockout (PPB-ΔXTFT and TPB-ΔXTFT). Western blot analysis with anti-α1,3-fucose and anti-xylose antibodies, as well as a test with peptide-N-glycosidase F, confirmed the absence of α1,3-fucose and xylose in the Asn297-linked glycan of PPB-ΔXTFT and TPB-ΔXTFT. Peptide analysis followed by the identification of glycomodified peptides using MALDI-TOF/TOF showed that PPB-WT and TPB-WT Asn297-linked glycans are mainly of complex type GnGnXF. The core of PPB-WT and TPB-WT Asn297-linked GnGn-type glycan contains α1,3-fucose and β1,2-xylose, which, along with the absence of terminal galactose and sialic acid, distinguishes these plant biosimilars from human IgG. Analysis of TPB-ΔXTFT total carbohydrate content indicates the possibility of changing the composition of the carbohydrate profile not only of the Fc, but also of the Fab portion of an antibody produced in transgenic ΔXTFT N. benthamiana plants. Nevertheless, study of the antigen-binding capacity of the biosimilars showed that absence of xylose and fucose residues in the Asn297-linked glycans does not affect the ability of the glycomodified antibodies to interact with HER2/neu positive cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- T V Komarova
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
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Sparrow E, Friede M, Sheikh M, Torvaldsen S. Therapeutic antibodies for infectious diseases. Bull World Health Organ 2017; 95:235-237. [PMID: 28250538 PMCID: PMC5328111 DOI: 10.2471/blt.16.178061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2016] [Revised: 10/09/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Erin Sparrow
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Samuels Avenue, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2033, Australia
| | - Martin Friede
- Initiative for Vaccine Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mohamud Sheikh
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Samuels Avenue, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2033, Australia
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