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Antibody–cytokine fusion proteins. Arch Biochem Biophys 2012; 526:194-205. [DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2012.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2012] [Revised: 02/28/2012] [Accepted: 03/01/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Chang CM, Lo CH, Shih YM, Chen Y, Wu PY, Tsuneyama K, Roffler SR, Tao MH. Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with adeno-associated virus encoding interleukin-15 superagonist. Hum Gene Ther 2010; 21:611-21. [PMID: 20064014 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2009.187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide, but effective therapies are still needed. The liver has been identified as an important immune organ and is heavily populated with various lymphocyte subsets known to play important roles in cancer immunosurveillance. We hypothesized that activation of hepatic lymphocytes by interleukin (IL)-15, a cytokine known for its ability to trigger proliferation and activation of natural killer (NK) cells, natural killer T cells, and memory CD8(+) T cells, might offer an alternative therapy for HCC. We employed hepatotropic adeno-associated virus serotype 8 (AAV8) to deliver an IL-15 superagonist (IL-15-IL-15RalphaS), consisting of IL-15 covalently linked to the N-terminal sushi domain of the IL-15 receptor alpha chain, to achieve local sustained cytokine expression in the liver environment. We observed that a single injection of AAV8 expressing IL-15-IL-15RalphaS, but not IL-15 alone, greatly expanded the number of hepatic mononuclear cells, mainly NK cells, for at least 21 days. AAV8/IL-15-IL-15RalphaS treatment generated potent antitumor activity in a liver metastatic murine HCC model (BNL cells), and significantly prolonged the survival time of treated animals. The antitumor effect depended mainly on NK cells, not on CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cells, because AAV8/IL-15-IL-15RalphaS treatment greatly enhanced the cytolytic activity of hepatic NK cells and depletion of NK cells abrogated the therapeutic effect. Importantly, no apparent liver toxicity was observed during AAV8/IL-15-IL-15RalphaS treatment. Together, our data demonstrate that AAV8-delivered IL-15-IL-15RalphaS provides an effective and safe therapy against metastatic HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Ming Chang
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
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Ortiz-Sánchez E, Helguera G, Daniels TR, Penichet ML. Antibody-cytokine fusion proteins: applications in cancer therapy. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2008; 8:609-32. [PMID: 18407765 PMCID: PMC4535341 DOI: 10.1517/14712598.8.5.609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antibody-cytokine fusion proteins consist of cytokines fused to an antibody to improve antibody-targeted cancer immunotherapy. These molecules have the capacity to enhance the tumoricidal activity of the antibodies and/or activate a secondary antitumor immune response. OBJECTIVE To review the strategies used to develop antibody-cytokine fusion proteins and their in vitro and in vivo properties, including preclinical and clinical studies focusing on IL-2, IL-12 and GM-CSF. METHODS Articles were found by searching databases such as PubMed and Clinical Trials of the US National Institutes of Health. RESULTS/CONCLUSION Multiple antibody-cytokine fusion proteins have demonstrated significant antitumor activity as direct therapeutics or as adjuvants of cancer vaccines in preclinical studies, paving the way for their clinical evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Ortiz-Sánchez
- Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Gustavo Helguera
- Assistant Researcher, University of California, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Tracy R Daniels
- Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Manuel L Penichet
- Assistant Professor, UCLA, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, CHS 54-140, Box 951782, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1782, USA
- Assistant Professor, University of California, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Assistant Professor, University of California, David Geffen School of Medicine, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Huang TH, Chintalacharuvu KR, Morrison SL. Targeting IFN-alpha to B cell lymphoma by a tumor-specific antibody elicits potent antitumor activities. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2007; 179:6881-8. [PMID: 17982079 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.179.10.6881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
IFN-alpha, a cytokine crucial for the innate immune response, also demonstrates antitumor activity. However, use of IFN-alpha as an anticancer drug is hampered by its short half-life and toxicity. One approach to improving IFN-alpha's therapeutic index is to increase its half-life and tumor localization by fusing it to a tumor-specific Ab. In the present study, we constructed a fusion protein consisting of anti-HER2/neu-IgG3 and IFN-alpha (anti-HER2/neu-IgG3-IFN-alpha) and investigated its effect on a murine B cell lymphoma, 38C13, expressing human HER2/neu. Anti-HER2/neu-IgG3-IFN-alpha exhibited potent inhibition of 38C13/HER2 tumor growth in vivo. Administration of three daily 1-microg doses of anti-HER2/neu-IgG3-IFN-alpha beginning 1 day after tumor challenge resulted in 88% of the mice remaining tumor free. Remarkably, anti-HER2/neu-IgG3-IFN-alpha demonstrated potent activity against established 38C13/HER2 tumors, with complete tumor remission observed in 38% of the mice treated with three daily doses of 5 microg of the fusion protein (p = 0.0001). Ab-mediated targeting of IFN-alpha induced growth arrest and apoptosis of lymphoma cells contributing to the antitumor effect. The fusion protein also had a longer in vivo half-life than rIFN-alpha. These results suggest that IFN-alpha Ab fusion proteins may be effective in the treatment of B cell lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Hsuan Huang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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Miao QF, Liu XY, Shang BY, Ouyang ZG, Zhen YS. An enediyne-energized single-domain antibody-containing fusion protein shows potent antitumor activity. Anticancer Drugs 2007; 18:127-37. [PMID: 17159599 DOI: 10.1097/cad.0b013e3280112779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Single-domain antibodies are attractive as tumor-targeting vehicles because of their much smaller size than intact antibody molecules. Lidamycin is a macromolecular antitumor antibiotic, which consists of a labile enediyne chromophore (AE) and a noncovalently bound apoprotein (LDP). An enediyne-energized fusion protein VH-LDP-AE composed of single-domain antibody directed against type IV collagenase and lidamycin was prepared by a novel two-step method including DNA recombination and molecular reconstitution. VH-LDP-AE demonstrated extremely potent cytotoxicity to cancer cells and marked antiangiogenic activity in vitro. In the mouse hepatoma 22 model, drugs were administered intravenously as a single dose on day 1 with maximal tolerated doses. VH-LDP-AE (0.25 mg/kg) suppressed the tumor growth by 95.9%, whereas lidamycin (0.05 mg/kg) and mitomycin (1 mg/kg) by 79.6 and 51.1%, respectively. In the HT-1080 xenograft model in nude mice, drugs were given intravenously as a single dose on day 4 after tumor implantation. VH-LDP-AE at 0.25 mg/kg suppressed tumor growth by 76% (P<0.05) compared with that of lidamycin at 0.05 mg/kg (53%) on day 18. No obvious toxic effects were observed in all groups during treatments. The results showed that energized fusion protein VH-LDP-AE was more effective than lidamycin and mitomycin. These properties, together with its much smaller size than conventional antibody-based agents, suggested that VH-LDP-AE would be a promising candidate for cancer-targeting therapy. In addition, the two-step approach could serve as a new technology platform for making a series of highly potent engineered antibody-based drugs for a variety of cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-fang Miao
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, #1 Tiantan Xili, Beijing 100050, PRC
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Missailidis S, Thomaidou D, Borbas KE, Price MR. Selection of aptamers with high affinity and high specificity against C595, an anti-MUC1 IgG3 monoclonal antibody, for antibody targeting. J Immunol Methods 2005; 296:45-62. [PMID: 15680150 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2004.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2003] [Revised: 10/19/2004] [Accepted: 10/25/2004] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Targeting of antibodies has found a number of applications in assays, anti-idiotypic therapies and vaccine design with a number of anti-idiotypic Abs generated and used in clinical applications, and some currently in clinical trials. Meanwhile, aptamers are a novel and particularly interesting targeting modality, with a unique ability to bind to a variety of targets. Aptamers offer unique benefits compared to other targeting agents, due to their high affinity and selectivity, relatively small size and in vitro synthesis, making them attractive alternatives to Abs and peptides. Aptamers have already been selected against a number of Abs for various applications. We now present a novel methodology for the selection of aptamers against Abs, which minimises the number of steps used and results in molecules that bind to the target Ab with high affinity and specificity. We have used the well-characterised anti-MUC1 monoclonal Ab C595 as an exemplar for raising aptamers against Abs. The methodology is based on the adsorption of the Ab to the surface of a PCR tube and the performance of SELEX selections in the PCR tube, based on elution steps resulting from the denaturation of the Ab on the first PCR amplification cycle. After 10 rounds of selection and amplification, selected aptamers have been characterised using a number of techniques, including fluorescence quenching, ELISA and competition ELISA procedures and a FRET type assay. Aptamers were found to bind their target Ab with a higher affinity than its natural antigenic peptide, as observed in fluorescent quenching and FRET experiments. Furthermore, they were able to displace the antigens from the antibody binding pocket in competition assays. This methodology offers the possibility of rapidly selecting aptamers for antibody targeting that could be used as diagnostic, imaging or therapeutic agents, or as recognition units in immunoassays, and can be potentially useful in raising aptamers against other protein targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sotiris Missailidis
- Chemistry Department, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK.
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Penichet ML, Morrison SL. Design and engineering human forms of monoclonal antibodies. Drug Dev Res 2004. [DOI: 10.1002/ddr.10347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Huang HI, Wu PY, Teo CY, Chen MN, Chen YC, Silin D, Tao MH. Improved immunogenicity of a self tumor antigen by covalent linkage to CD40 ligand. Int J Cancer 2003; 108:696-703. [PMID: 14696096 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.11612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The interaction between the CD40 ligand (CD40L) and CD40 on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) is critical in promoting humoral and cellular immune responses. Agonistic anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody and soluble CD40L can act as powerful adjuvants to promote vaccination, but usually require repeated high-dose treatment. In this study, we demonstrate that the adjuvant effect of CD40L can be greatly improved by directly linking the antigen to CD40L. We constructed a fusion protein (Id-CD40L) consisting of the extracellular domain of CD40L and the idiotype (Id) protein, a weakly immunogenic tumor-specific antigen derived from the murine 38C13 B-cell lymphoma. The soluble Id-CD40L fusion protein retained CD40 binding activity and stimulated CD80 and CD86 upregulation and interleukin (IL)-12 production by macrophages. Immunization of mice with Id-CD40L without adjuvants resulted in high titers of anti-Id Abs dominated by the IgG1 isotype and protected the mice from subsequent lethal tumor challenge. In a dose-response study, we demonstrated that Id-CD40L elicited anti-Id antibody (Ab) responses in all immunized animals, even at a dose as low as 0.5 microg. Immunization with free Id and an IgG-CD40L fusion protein, which was identical in structure to Id-CD40L but lost the Id determinant, resulted in significant lower anti-Id responses, indicating that physical linkage between the tumor antigen and CD40L was required for the optimal immune response. These results demonstrate that fusing CD40L to a candidate antigen can greatly improve the adjuvant activity of CD40L. This approach may be useful in developing vaccines for a variety of malignant and infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsing-I Huang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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Helguera G, Morrison SL, Penichet ML. Antibody-cytokine fusion proteins: harnessing the combined power of cytokines and antibodies for cancer therapy. Clin Immunol 2002; 105:233-46. [PMID: 12498805 DOI: 10.1006/clim.2002.5302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G Helguera
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, California, 90095-1489, USA
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Abstract
Myeloma expression systems have been utilized successfully for the production of various recombinant proteins. In particular, myeloma cell lines have been exploited to express a variety of different antibodies for diagnostic applications as well as in the treatment of various human diseases. The use of myeloma cells for antibody production is advantageous because they are professional immunoglobulin-secreting cells and are able to make proper post-translational modifications. Proper glycosylation has been shown to be important for antibody function. Advances in genetic engineering and molecular biology techniques have made it possible to isolate murine and human variable regions of almost any desired specificity. Antibodies and antibody variants produced in myeloma cells have been extremely helpful in elucidating the amino acid residues and structural motifs that contribute to antibody function. Because of their domain nature, immunoglobulin genes can be easily manipulated to produce chimeric or humanized antibodies. These antibodies are less immunogenic in humans and also retain their specificity for antigen and biologic properties. In addition, novel proteins in which antibodies are fused to non-immunoglobulin sequences as well as secretory IgA have been produced in myeloma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther M Yoo
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics and the Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, 611 S. Charles Young Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Abstract
Advances in genetic engineering and expression systems have led to rapid progress in the development of antibodies fused to other proteins. These 'antibody fusion proteins' have novel properties and include antibodies with specificity for tumor associated antigens fused to cytokines such as interleukin-2 (IL2), granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and interleukin-12 (IL12). The goal of this approach to cancer therapy is to concentrate the cytokine in the tumor microenvironment and in so doing directly enhance the tumoricidal effect of the antibody and/or enhance the host immune response (T-cell, B-cell or NK) against the tumor. In the past decade, multiple antibody-cytokine fusion proteins have been developed with different specificities targeting a broad variety of tumors. These novel molecules retain both antibody and cytokine associated functions. In addition, in animals bearing tumors, antibody-cytokine fusion proteins are able to target the tumor and to elicit a significant anti-tumor response that in some cases results in a complete elimination of the tumor. These results suggest that antibody-cytokine fusion proteins have potential for use in the treatment of human cancer. In the present review, we describe strategies for construction of antibody-cytokine fusion proteins and discuss the properties of several antibody-cytokine fusion proteins with IgG genetically fused to the cytokines IL2, GM-CSF or IL12.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L Penichet
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics and The Molecular Biology Institute, University of California - Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-148, USA
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Abstract
AbstractThe idiotypic determinant (Id) of the immunoglobulin expressed by a B-cell malignancy can serve as an effective tumor-specific antigen but is only weakly immunogenic. This study demonstrates that the immunogenicity of the tumor Id protein can be dramatically increased by directing it to antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) present on activated T cells has a strong binding affinity to both B7-1 and B7-2 molecules, which are primarily expressed on APCs. After construction of a fusion protein consisting of Id and CTLA-4 (Id-CTLA4), mice immunized with the fusion protein induced high titers of Id-specific antibody and T-cell proliferative responses without adjuvants and were protected from lethal tumor challenge. The Id-CTLA4 fusion protein was so potent that even low doses (down to 0.1 μg) of the immunogen were able to elicit strong antibody responses. By using an Id-CTLA4 mutant protein, the ability to bind B7 molecules on APCs was shown to be required for the enhanced immunogenicity of Id-CTLA4. These findings demonstrate that fusing CTLA-4 to a potential tumor antigen represents an effective approach to prime antitumor immunities in vivo and may be applicable to the design of vaccines for a variety of other diseases.
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Lode HN, Xiang R, Gillies SD, Reisfeld RA. Amplification of T cell-mediated immune responses by antibody-cytokine fusion proteins. Immunol Invest 2000; 29:117-20. [PMID: 10854178 DOI: 10.3109/08820130009062293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- H N Lode
- Department of Immunology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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Abstract
CpG ODN, owing to its wide range of immunostimulatory effects has been found to be a potent Th1-type adjuvant that is effective with virtually any type of antigen, although responses are less impressive with PS than protein antigens. The use of CpG ODN as an adjuvant may allow the development of vaccines against a wider range of diseases, which could include therapeutic vaccines for chronic infections or cancer, effective pediatric vaccines for newborns, and easily delivered mucosal vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- H L Davis
- Loeb Health Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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Lode HN, Xiang R, Duncan SR, Theofilopoulos AN, Gillies SD, Reisfeld RA. Tumor-targeted IL-2 amplifies T cell-mediated immune response induced by gene therapy with single-chain IL-12. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1999; 96:8591-6. [PMID: 10411920 PMCID: PMC17561 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.96.15.8591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Induction, maintenance, and amplification of tumor-protective immunity after cytokine gene therapy is essential for the clinical success of immunotherapeutic approaches. We investigated whether this could be achieved by single-chain IL-12 (scIL-12) gene therapy followed by tumor-targeted IL-2 using a fusion protein containing a tumor-specific recombinant anti-ganglioside GD(2) antibody and IL-2 (ch14.18-IL-2) in a poorly immunogenic murine neuroblastoma model. Herein, we demonstrate the absence of liver and bone marrow metastases after a lethal challenge with NXS2 wild-type cells only in mice (five of six animals) vaccinated with scIL-12-producing NXS2 cells and given a booster injection of low-dose ch14.18-IL-2 fusion protein. This tumor-protective immunity was effective 3 months after initial vaccination, in contrast to control animals treated with a nonspecific fusion protein or an equivalent mixture of antibody and IL-2. Only vaccinated mice receiving the tumor-specific ch14.18-IL-2 fusion protein revealed a reactivation of CD8(+) T cells and subsequent MHC class I-restricted tumor target cell lysis in vitro. The sequential increase in the usage of TCR chains Vbeta11 and -13 in mouse CD8(+) T cells after vaccination and amplification with ch14.18-IL-2 suggests that the initial polyclonal CD8(+) T cell response is effectively boosted by targeted IL-2. In conclusion, we demonstrate that a successful boost of a partially protective memory T cell immune response that is induced by scIL-12 gene therapy could be generated by tumor-specific targeting of IL-2 with a ch14.18-IL-2 fusion protein. This approach could increase success rates of clinical cancer vaccine trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- H N Lode
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Immunology, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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